


Northern Lights

by smol_grump



Category: Frozen (2013)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, F/F, Romance, Sexual Content, Slow Burn, Violence in Later Chapters, non-incest
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-04-28
Updated: 2016-06-05
Packaged: 2018-06-04 19:56:00
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 30,778
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6673492
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/smol_grump/pseuds/smol_grump
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>There's something lurking in the mountains, along the old trading path. No one knows where it leads. People explore it as a test of bravery, a foolish dare taken on normally in the drunken haze or during the testosterone pumped phase. Those who dare travel down the path disappear, while the few that find their way back are branded as insane and forgotten. Elsanna. Non-Incest.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

"There's something lurking in the mountain, along the old trading path. No one knows where it leads. People explore it as a test of bravery, a foolish dare taken on in the drunken haze or during the testosterone pumped phase. Those who dare travel down the path disappear, while the few that find their way back are branded mad and soon forgotten. They say it's a spirit that patrols the road; that picks and chooses who comes and goes. An entity of the Old Norse who was left behind after the gods ran away. Their history became meaningless in the new age, and soon after turned into mere folklore to ease the children at night…"

Restless eyes stared up at the queen in awe. The child squirmed around in her mother's lap, waiting terrible for her to continue. As soon as her mother was about to begin, the princess couldn't help but interrupt, "Do you believe in the Old Norse, Mama?" Her majesty froze, unsure of what to say. The king didn't want his daughter to believe in such silly stories, but the queen knew better.

She smiled lovingly at the child and stroked her silky hair, "All tales hold some truth my dear." And with that she continued.

* * *

Another angry cry startled any wild life away. The princess was angry no—furious. Yet again she was running from the castle, from her overwhelming father. They've never been able to see eye to eye, not since the death of her mother. The more they fought, the deeper she found herself in the forest, where no one would hear her except the few critters that dared to come near.

Horas released a startled neigh and reared, sending the girl flying onto the rocky path. Anna gritted her teeth in pain, standing up just in time to see the frightened beast gallop back down the winding old road.

"Foal…" She grumbled as she dusted the dirt off her backside. The aggravated royal wasn't done running though, and blindly took off into the surrounding forest. By the time she rested, her head was clear and the light had dimmed exceptionally.

The sun was setting, slowly turning the soft shades of clouds into bold statements of blue, gold, and fuchsia. As the heavens grew captivating, the earth below became dark and unclear. One long slew of black and murky blue that swayed only to the wind. But Anna could see the details. The silhouette of dark pines and tangled branches that framed her view of the sky. The thickets and stray rocks that littered the scenery. She stared in awe.

Anna was shaken from her thoughts as a tremor passed through the ground. Then another, and another, till a fast paced rhythm was established. She stood up quickly and looked around, her hand gripping the hilt of her sword, "What in God's name…" A thunderous warped sound echoed through the forest, sending chills down the royal's spine. It sounded much like the cattle in the countryside, but gravelly. She squinted in the direct of the source.

Another blaring sound pierced the air before a tree came crashing down. All Anna saw were two massive horns and a thrash of dirty white hair before she took off in the opposing direction. Adrenaline pumped through her veins as she carried her legs faster, the rhythmic tremors were following close behind. _'Christ I could really use some assistance right now!'_ Her eyes were burning with tears. The beast boomed behind her, Anna released a pent up scream as she ran harder.

The deeper she ran into the forest the more turns she took. The beast slowed down as the trees began to multiply, but the wood merely caved under its force. The distance between them was still growing, and so was her hope. But alas, her thoughts of vitality were killed by a stray root. Anna tripped and rolled down into a small clearing

More trees toppled and another strangled bellow shook the forest leaves. Anna choked out a sob before stumbling to her feet, only to fall back down. She swore under her breath and gripped her ankle in pain.

Anna had curled into ball and began murmuring her final prayers. _'This is it? That's the plan, to die crying face first in the snow? My last words to my father were calling him a near sighted ass.'_

The quakes became more violent as the stomping grew closer. The beast yowled again, its cry was incredibly strained. Crashing noises and sounds of snapping wood soon followed. Anna screwed her eyes shut and waited for the impending doom.

But it never came.

The beast released something that was much higher in pitch, but not as loud as it's war cry. It sounded oddly submissive.

Then another noise was registered, something even more foreign than the beast's. Like a sick man breathing heavily through a very thick helmet. Anna opened her eyes slowly, the color drained from her face completely as she tried terribly to gain some distance; only to yelp in pain and fall flat on her back.

The beast was huge, a strange cross breed between a bear and a musk ox. The long dirty hair covered its eyes and extended down the beast's humpback, forming a long flat tail. It was twice the size of any animal she's ever seen. Anna felt another scream coming on, until she noticed the metal plated boots and thick grey pants that separated them.

Her vision blurred as she sized up the new creature, she couldn't tell who or what it was. The only things that crossed her mind were stories. Bedtime tales of fleeting gods and forest spirits that lulled her to sleep once upon a time. It turned to face her, one hand placed atop the beast's head. Much like the scene, it's figure was almost a silhouette. Darkened and empowered by the aggressive sky behind it. The fleeting light reflected golden off its possessions. The bow, the armor, and the hilts of it's sheathed blades—but most importantly, it's face. A hunk of metal forever fixed in a menacing snarl. Not only did it catch the sun's rays, but the menacing glow of it's pale blue irises. A gust of frosted air escaped the through the creature's teeth.

The angel of death, Anna thought. An ice demon with a penchant for souls. Those were the most logical answers she could think of without fracturing her frail mind. Her vision grew dark as the creature drew closer, till the last thing she saw was the daunting blue eyes and the strands of silver that fell in front of them. _'Lord take me now.'_


	2. Chapter 2

Anna woke to the sound of crackling and the scent of burning pine. The redhead smiled and snuggled deeper into the warmth. She didn't open her eyes though. She was afraid that this state of peace would be torn away from her if she did.

The same damned mewl permeated the air, causing her to scowl. _'I'm still alive?'_ Anna began to tense up as the recent memories ate away at her state of mind, panic crept on her like a predator. How long has she been unconscious? Where was she? She knew that someone was watching her, or at least aware of what state she _should_ be in, which would make her a hostage of some sort.

Anna counted to ten, _'keep your head, this is not the time.'_ She waited a while longer, listening to the crackling fire and the soft snorting of an animal. There were no sounds that indicated the demon was near by, so she slowly opened her eyes. The princess obviously wasn't in the clearing but instead she laid on a bedding of leaves. Thick trees twisted together to form a convenient shelter, shielding her from the cold outside.

Some gear was piled neatly a safe distance away. Disturbingly familiar armor, some rope, and a sack for small game.

She sat up and groaned, regretting her decision as soon as she made it. Black dots swam across her vision as she tried to ease her throbbing head. A dark fur pelt slid into a heap on her lap and she froze completely, "The creature…"

"Å, du er våken." The voice wasn't human. Anna whipped her head around in search of the source, which was a poor choice. It was warped through the grotesque metal snarl. The figure sat on the other side of the flames. After better examination, she realized that the intimidating grin was in fact a mask. It's cowl was still pulled taut over it's head. The thick coat didn't give her any hints pertaining to _what_ the thing was either.

The creature spoke again, slower than the first time, "er ankelen godt?" Anna could only stare at the being. The words were vaguely familiar, but she was too disoriented to decipher the language. A sudden rush of realization hit again and dizziness got her once more. The black dots came back twice as big, swarming her vision till she sunk back into the darkness once more.

The entity rushed to her aid. It checked carefully through the copper hair for any new injuries before pulling the dark pelt back over the sleeping beauty. Something along the lines of a sigh spewed frosted air from between it's menacing teeth.

Another warped cry resounded throughout the forest. The being turned to glare at the beast through the tree gaps, "Åh hold kjeft!"

The animal mewled in submission before resting it's head on the snow patched ground once more. A gloved hand scratched the cowl with a sense of uncertainty, "Dritt."

* * *

When the ginger woke, she found herself in familiar territory once again. The scenery of blue and grey was replaced with the warm colors of fall. _'Was it all a dream?'_ Anna looked down cautiously. A thin blanket replaced the cozy pelt from her nightly musings, and a small water-skin rested at her side.

She stared at the sky, it was around noon. But how long had she been gone? Anna decided it didn't matter, "Father wouldn't have noticed my absence, we avoid each other weeks at a time…" The princess stood up slowly and stretched—until her ankle burned. It burned hard enough to turn her denial into ash.

"It wasn't a dream", she whispered. Anna began limping towards the castle, allowing the pain from her ankle burn any complex thoughts away. She didn't want to think about the ice demon and it's pet or the eternal winter that cursed the land.

At the moment it was mid-September, the leaves had just put on their autumn best, and the largest animal she'd have to worry about was a bear. Anyone who told her otherwise prior to her recuperation, could shove her sword up their uptight tushes.

The princess definitely did not want to be caught by the guards or the more loose lipped servants that dwelled near the front of the castle, so she took a secret underground path that lead into the castle dungeons. Only Anna knew of the path, and she preferred it to stay that way.

The dungeon guards never gave her much trouble, they often greeted her with a smile. It was the staff on the upper levels that made her life difficult. She trekked silently through the halls to her room, grateful that she stormed out of the kingdom in only her leather bounds.

As soon as she tucked her gear away, the princess rang for a maid to draw her a bath and dinner to be sent to her quarters. Anna was so exhausted she almost fell asleep in the tub. She raised her left leg in the air and rolled her foot. The skin was bruised from poor treatment, but after soaking it didn't sting as much as before. She would still have to remain indoors for a few days.

Anna left the tub when the water was no longer warm. She didn't bother tying her robe as she entered the bed chamber. "You must have had a rather exciting adventure." Anna flinched at the taunting voice. Gerda smirked as she laid out an evening gown for the princess to wear.

She has served the royal family years before the boisterous redhead was born. her unwavering loyalty earned her position as head servant and caretaker of the crowned princess. By now she was used to the royal's tendency to move around her personal chambers half—if not completely—naked.

The old servant took Anna's silence as confusion and spelled out what she was implying. A touch of concern could be heard, "Your ankle my dear, it's bruising. I'll send a maid up with ointments upon my leave."

Anna ah'd softly and adverted her eyes. The color drained from her face as she remembered a certain beast's cry. Gerda continued, "You were missing for an entire day, I almost sent out a search party for you. I understand your father has been rather frigid… but please don't give Kai and I heart attacks over such things. I'd like to see you take the throne from the seats, and _not_ a early grave."

"I'm truly sorry Gerda, I really am. But he finds fault in everything I do! It's as if he is purposely trying to spite me. If I say the sky is blue—try my words, he'll declare it orange!" The old servant had always been like a second mother in her eyes, and she'd hate to make her worry more than she needed to. Frustration was building up in the royal, but she was too exhausted to bust into a full blown rant about how stubborn King Agdar was being. Instead she took her anger out on an unfortunate slice of apple.

Gerda went about straightening the room, "I can assure you that the king loves you with all of his heart Anna, it's been rough for him since your mother died. I know that it has been rough for you too."

Anna didn't respond to that, too busy chewing as angrily as she could on the poor morsels. Gerda sighed sadly before changing the subject, "Where exactly did you run off to?"

The princess froze at the question. Where _did_ she go? Memories of the other day came to her in flashes. The forest of little warmth, brilliant skies, the thick winding trees and advancing glowing eyes. Her pupils dilated as she stared into nothing. After a moment Gerda turned to look at the copper haired girl, "Dear?"

The old servant dropped her current tasks and clasped Anna's shoulders. Terror crept it's way across her pudgy face. She recognized that look. The dilated pupils and glassed over eyes.

The look of the mad.

Gerda tried again, squeezing her toned muscles gently, "Anna dear, _where_ did you go?" Anna inhaled sharply and her eyes soon returned to their normal state. She swallowed thickly before answering, her face matching Gerda's terrified expression, "I don't—I don't know."


	3. Chapter 3

Anna spent the rest of yesterday in the library searching for clues. She then realized she must of rode quite far because she couldn't recognize her surroundings. As crowned princess, it was her duty to know the land; and geologically things just didn't _add up_. Norway, the habitable part, was shared between three powers. Arendelle, the House of Nordraak, and Oslo.

Oslo was just a Swedish sphere of influence. A remnant after a war of independence from the brother nation. Norway was victorious, but Sweden still managed to maintain control in that decent part of land.

The House of Nordraak was a phony colony. Lord Nordraak used to be a member of her grandfather's court. He was caught in a series of scandals, but there was never enough evidence to take the man to justice. King Rikard had enough of his foolishness and planned to assassinate him, but Nordraak caught wind of it all. And so he gathered his soldiers, family, and affiliates and ran off to the western side of Norway before the former king could carry through. One of his grandsons rule now, but is still just as much of a joke as Lord Nordraak.

Neither opposing powers were really a threat, though they still annoyed the hell out of Arendelle. The kingdom simply did not have the manpower to chase after cowardly nobles and ward off Swedes.

But there was an area of neutrality, where no one ruled. A patch of inland that acted as a buffer between the harsh frozen terrain and the controlled areas. The direction Anna had taken, she should have wound up in the neutral zone. But that _definitely_ wasn't what she saw.

After a day's worth of hard training with Ser Jørgen, Anna found herself wandering towards the stables to visit her friend Kristoff. He wasn't really part of the staff, but he worked there when it wasn't ice harvesting season. He had taken residence in its living quarters at the age of thirteen. The only reason Kristoff had even acquired the privilege was because of a life threatening adventure he shared with the princess before hand. Long story short, the King felt like he owed the lad and indirectly appointed him as Anna's impulse control.

If only King Agdar knew all of the responsibility he contingently placed on the ice harvester.

The princess entered the stables and greeted the horses, mainly sharing a few choice words with Horas and a carrot with Sven the reindeer. He was normally a good steed and very hard to spook, which only unnerved the princess even more. She made her way to the ladder like steps and climbed up to Kristoff's quarters. "Hey Kristoff!" The taller man looked up and grinned at her as she smoothed out her dress.

"Hey feisty, you've finally came to visit me?" He set his lute down and made room on the blanket covered hay. The princess sat down before continuing, "It hasn't been _that_ long." Kristoff chuckled before reclining against the hay once more. Anna knew he didn't mind being alone, he was a loner by heart.

The harvester didn't even converse much with the staff, though that had more to do with his beliefs and strange upbringing. "So feisty, what brings you here?"

Anna squirmed in her seat. She wanted to choose her words wisely, "You've lived in the woods for a while right?" He nodded.

She took a deep breath before continuing, she wasn't sure how to ask, "Have you ever seen anything strange in the forest? Magick strange that is." Kristoff scratched his neck thoughtfully before replying.

"No, but the love experts might have", Anna resisted the urge to roll her eyes. When Kristoff told her about the love experts at first, she passed it off as an over-active imagination. Her father said there was no such thing as mythical creatures. Just angels and demons. God and Satan. He said that was all she needed to know of and who to follow. But what Anna had witnessed yesterday was a ripple in her faith. She had yet to search the entire castle for an explanation, _'Ice demon… Death angel...'_

The mountain man broke the brooding silence, "Do you want to see them?" Anna thought a bit more before shaking her head.

There were many sources around the kingdom she had to explore. "No, but thanks Kristoff. Maybe I'll take your offer some other time."

Kristoff nodded and strummed a foul chord on his lute, "Whenever you're ready m'lady." She cringed at the formal name. It was one of her pet peeves, formality amongst loved ones. She had been trying to break Gerda of the habit for years now, but the loyal head maid remained vigilant against her attempts. Anna smiled impishly and nudged him, "But you can definitely join me for a pint."

He sat up and returned her grin, "I'll meet you by the old lamp post, in the town square."

The princess stood up and dusted the hay off her dress before quickly descending down the stairs, "Bring your own pense this time!" Kristoff merely chuckled and plucked sweetly at the old strings, he never pays for his own ale.

* * *

Anna waited patiently for her friend. She was getting antsier by the minute. The redhead wasn't wasn't worried about getting caught, she had snuck out numerous times in disguise. _'I wonder if people notice…'_

Kristoff slapped her hard on the back, he had switched to his mountain clothes, "How about those pints?" Anna quickly straightened and put on her best grin, but inwardly she was crying from the stinging pain. They chattered aimlessly as they made their way towards the tavern. Kristoff noticed Anna continue down the stone path. He called out to her, "Hey! Where ya goin?"

"Let's go to the Rabbit Hole", her voice was muffled by the bustle of the streets. The harvester jogged over to her and looked at her incredulously. The Rabbit Hole was a tavern located near the outside of the city. The stereotypical resting place for weary travelers and the less fortunate. What concerned Kristoff the most was the mad that tended to lurk in the area. He took on a petulant face, "we always drink at the Golden Coin."

She patted his arm roughly, "A change in scenery will do you good, come. It's cheaper there." He eyed her suspiciously before following the ginger towards the outer section.

The Rabbit Hole looked old and run down. Seeing that it had been around as long as the castle itself, it wasn't a surprise. The inside was dimly lit, unlike the cheery atmosphere of the Golden Coin it held a certain offbeat yet calming taste to it.

They took a seat at a secluded table in the corner. Kristoff leaned on the warped wood and spoke in a low tone, "Now tell me the real reason you wanted to come here."

Anna looked rather at home, "To gather information." Kristoff scoffed and rolled his eyes. Why would he expect anything less from her. A wench soon came by with a couple of pints. Anna nodded to her gratefully before taking a swig. The liquor burned a lot more than what she was used to. It's aroma was spicy and tasted horrible at first, but it soon succumbed to a certain sweetness and pleasant heat.

"They know how to serve ale, I'll give them that much", the harvester muttered. He observed the occupants carefully. Some of the mad had take resident at a table next to theirs. Most weren't hard to miss.

The mad almost always had some sort of nervous tick and bloodshot eyes, but there were few who acted like normal folk. Anna nodded and took notice as well, "I'm going to ask a few questions. Do _not_ drink my fill." The last part came out as a warning, but Kristoff knew it was an empty threat.

The redhead pulled up a chair between the two men and sat in it backwards. She didn't know why, it was just comfortable, "Nice ale, yeah?"

The older of the two looked incredibly unstable, but scrawny. The madness had settled in his veins years ago. "Good? Yeah. Best? Naw. Best I eve' had lit a fire in my gullet. Thought I was a dragon." He kept repositioning his goblet till he was satisfied. The other man remained silent, his eyes trained on the russet liquid in front of him.

Anna decided to save her next question for later, she'd hate to be direct, "Yeah? Mind tellin' me where? My friend and I been searching for somethin' strong." The old kook looked around before leaning in close. His breath smelled foul with rotten food and spicy ale. Anna fought the need to retreat.

"The city of ice, youngin'. I only been there once me self when I was only twenty years young, never could find my way there again", the old man's pupils dilated as the memory came to light once again, "But sweet Odin almighty what a gorgeous sight it been..." He trailed off completely, boring holes into the rotting table. Anna concealed her excitement well, though she couldn't hide her concern for the man.

His companion coughed, gaining her attention. His voice was clear, melodic almost. It was a sharp contrast against the raspy voices around her, "Please pardon his mental absence. What brings you to ask such things?"

She couldn't see his face fully, it was hidden under his dark raggedy cowl. The redhead kept a mental note, _'He speaks like nobility. It appears I'm not the only one with a rebellious streak.'_ She pursed her lips, uncertain of what to say.

The man nodded towards the bartender as if he figured out why, "He knows how to get there. His name is Henrik. This ale he serves, he gets it imported illegally from the place. Then he waters it down with our own brew to make it last longer." Anna slid her own hood over her own head and looked at the bartender.

He was a muscular man for his old age with pale tired eyes. His head was cleanly shaven except for the long tresses that flowed from the top of his head into a single banded braid and the well kept beard that hid his lips. Scars purposely shaped into old nordic patterns littered his neck and disappeared behind his thick tunic. Anna gulped inwardly and stared with admiration, _'viking…'_

She was brought out of her thoughts by the young man, "Today he gets his monthly import. Stay a hour before sunset and a person will come in. He'll sit down at the far table and wait for business to slow down. Then he'll move into the back with Henrik and commence business."

Anna stared at him with awe. The man obviously came often. _'Maybe an alcoholic noble looking to buy the brew straight from the source'_ , she felt suspicious about the man. He knew so much. The princess prayed she wouldn't come across him anywhere outside the tavern.

She nodded gratefully and left a shilling casually on the table. It was more than enough to pay for the traveler's dues. She couldn't wait for the businessman. No, the princess would have to go the second best source another time. Anna quickly scanned the tavern for Kristoff. He was flirting with one of the mercenaries on the other side of the establishment, yet keeping a close eye on her as well.

Anna left a few pences on their original table before nodding towards the door. Kristoff frowned and bid fair well before exiting with his friend, "Did you find what you were looking for?"

The walk back to the castle was going to be chilly. Anna grinned, "Not quite, but still good." Kristoff processed the information. He was growing wary of the princess's antics, "And?"

"I'll give you the details once we reach the stables. Let's just say we'll be visiting the Rabbit Hole again", the redhead couldn't hide the pep in her step any more. She couldn't wait for the next visit. Kristoff sighed, he didn't have much to say in the matter, "As long as the ale is good."

She slapped his shoulder playfully, "oh please, tell me about those mercenaries you were talking to."

The blonde laughed heartily, "They were a bit older than I expected." Even so, Kristoff always looked older than his actual age. He could thank good genes and hard work for that. The rest of the way the ice harvester retold wild stories he heard from his new tavern buddies, and Anna wouldn't have wanted it any other way.

* * *

It seemed as though the earth shook with fear. With every thunderous stomp, the trees whined, the leaves jerked, and birds fled in horror. The beast roared as it charged recklessly in the opposite direction of its predator. It was just as afraid as the world around it.

But fear can only take one so far, and it's stamina was wearing thin.

The ice demon stared hungrily as the creature ran for it's life. The thrill of the hunt urged them to continue the chase. Oh how the entity would love to just run; run until the horned beast dropped from exhaustion, or until their legs gave out. But they had an audience, and a image to uphold.

The predator pulled a simple metal bow from it's holster and sprinted from tree to tree, until they were juxtaposed with the prey. Frozen fractals encased it's limbs and spurred into ornate spikes and curves. They pulled the string taut and steadied their aim, an arrow made of ice caught the northern lights above.

The string was released, and the beast fell.

The ice demon watched from their perch as the creature mewled in pain, it's insides were freezing over. A small group dressed in similar clothing surrounded the beast a moment later. A majority of them keeled over as they caught their breath. The first one spoke, "A clean kill your highness."

He studied the small wound at the base of the beast's neck, the ice arrow had melded with it's flesh. The predator barely made a dent in the snow as it landed on the ground. After a quick silence, they spoke, "Levy, please refer to me on a first name basis when we're in the woods."

Levy nodded politely, his smile hidden behind a mask similar to his superior's, "My apologies Elsa, I didn't want to set a bad example in front of the recruits." He inclined his head towards the wheezing group behind him.

She sighed, spewing cold air from between the metal teeth. They were performing a simple run through the forest when the beast came rampaging. Elsa and Levy had absolutely no need to map the terrain, it was an experience for the youth who had never ventured far from the city.

" _Rett"_ , Elsa's voice was still warped gruesomely by the snarling mask. The recruits snapped into attention; backs ramrod straight, hands clasped in front, and feet shoulder width apart. Levy nearly fell into attention himself.

She skimmed over each recruit with a bit of pride before speaking, "This is a uruk. Hopefully, you were already aware of this before hand. If you weren't, now you know. This animal plays a major role in our lives and therefore, must be treated with the highest of respect. Uruks are normally docile and will only attack if they feel provoked. And if provoked, are absolutely vicious. Despite their passive nature, they can kill you with only their foot. If you see a rampaging uruk, stay clear of it's way. Do _not_ kill the uruk, do _not_ try to stop the uruk. You are not ready to do either. If you do kill an uruk—at your rank, by accident I hope—then you must pay respects to the nymphs that guard whatever region it was killed in. Avoid it's death at all cost, unless told otherwise. If you come across a _herd_ of uruk, then stay clear out of their sight. They are unpredictable when in a group."

A hand rose hesitantly, it belonged to one of the more bashful recruits in the party. Elsa nodded in approval. She could make out the soft feminine tones of the voice, "Pardon, your highness. But couldn't this uruk's death have been avoided?"

Recruits were not allowed to handle enchanted metal because they lacked the discipline. Instead they were given a mask made of thick leather and fabric with three slits to breathe so they could get accustomed with the gear.

"There is a small settlement up ahead. Yes, there was a possibility that the uruk would change it's course, but I didn't want to take that risk", Elsa's voice held authority even though it was distorted.

"Another question your highness", the girl cringed at her lack of protocol. The princess didn't mind, she already figured out what the youth was about to ask, "I won't have you carry it of course. Your only job is to keep watch for any other threatening wildlife."

The recruits looked at each other with confusion, surely their prefect wasn't going to carry such a beast all by herself. That was, until a soft wind picked up the snow around them and whisked it in a spiral. And from the gyre arose a golem made of ice and snow. They stared at the snowman with awe and it stared back. Levy patted it's abnormally shaped arms, "Hi Marshmallow, long time no see."

Marshmallow waved awkwardly at the man before hauling the frozen uruk onto its back. "Surround Marshmallow in oval formation, the uruk must be kept at top condition", Elsa commanded as the snowman began walking towards the kingdom. The leaders trailed ahead of the group and led them down a barely visible path.

"You sound as stiff as Mattias", Levy smirked under his mask. It was made from blessed metal with three slits on each side and decorated with runes. Incredibly plain compared to Elsa's grotesque snarl of a mask. The princess rolled her eyes, that was no way to address her, "I thought I was _your highness._ "

The lieutenant answered mirthfully, "Yes, but we are friends first. Let our social differences remain inside the walls, as you've said before."

Elsa's eyes shined brightly against the shadows that hid her face. The sky was clear, a soothing gradient of deep indigo and orange. It was still quite early for her people, but the sun was setting and the moon had already shown it's face, "Yes, that would be nice."


	4. Chapter 4

The past ten days were frustrating for the princess. She couldn't hound not even a snippet of information from the royal staff. They were as stubborn and tight lipped as her father—more so because the prudent king terrified them. She hadn't found much luck in the library either. All of the old books must have been burned or moved somewhere Anna wouldn't dare to look. The ginger frowned and steadied her aim, _'No father wouldn't burn text. He values literature too much.'_

She released the string, the arrow didn't thump even remotely close to the bulls-eye. Anna glared angrily at the bow. She was never a good shot to begin with. The squire preferred her sword over long ranged weapons. All she could think of was the blue tinted leaves and the sneering mask.

Anna wiped the sweat from her brow and looked sullenly towards the sky, "A city of ice, a forest of blue… maybe the old kook and I really are mad."

"Dozing off again Anna? A facile way to end your life in the field." She cringed at the thunderous voice and bowed in it's direction—towards the man who gazed from the sidelines. Ser Jørgen was if anything, an odd man. He was tall and built like the roman Hercules with a rather suspicious looking face. Instead of the popular trends, he kept his blonde boyish curls long and face clean shaven. He was rather spontaneous compared to other lords, eccentric and humble until he's given a task. But everyone agreed the man was savage when it came to combat.

"I'm sorry Jørgen, I've been feeling ill as of late", Anna apologized. Her anxiety grew as the paladin reminded silent, but she remained bowed. He was still upset with her for running off into the woods without his knowledge. It felt as though hours has passed to the ginger, though it had only been a few minutes. Jørgen's voice made her hair stand on end, "Yet you still breathe and train. Come, your father commissioned me to deliver a message to Oslo. I want you to accompany me."

She snapped up, the excitement burned in her eyes, "Yes, on your command sire." The knight smiled at her sprightliness before retreating towards the armory. Anna returned the bow to it's holster and quickly scurried after him. She had lessons to attend and she was sure Jørgen knew as well. But his orders overruled her princess duties, unless her father said otherwise.

Time seemed to move incredibly fast compared to the past days. The journey wasn't full of action, but she enjoyed every minute of it. Anna had even coaxed the knight into telling one of his battle stories, which was rare. He wasn't one to talk about himself, especially his past. By the time they returned to the castle, the day was close to over.

Despite the treat, Anna brooded angrily on the castle roof. It was the one place in—on the castle that no one dared to chase after her, with her exception of her father. He was the only man who could match her bravado.

"Like father like daughter", she glared angrily at the falling sun. But no matter how much she did, it wouldn't reverse its motion. Anna contemplated traveling down the old road herself and trying her luck. She shook her head, "No, don't mistake stupidity for bravery."

The princess clacked her boots together absently as she stared at the sky. It was getting cold, which meant she'd have to return to the dark musty halls of the castle soon. Anna sat up slowly and stretched, her mind was made up, "Tomorrow. I'm going to have a word with Henrik."

* * *

Despite the night sky, the city was teeming with life. Ice and snow covered the rooftops of compact houses and glinted under the moonlight.

A lamp burned by every door, basking the stone streets in a comforting orange glow. The city was archaic, but not nearly as old as the land it rested upon. The capital of Kollavik was truly beautiful, but it was only a fifth of the Kollavik Empire. It rested snugly next to the Norwegian Sea, expanding onto the small mountain range that inhibited the land. Stone walls held together with mortar and ice separated most of the densely populated area from the forest around it, though there were small communities outside of it's gates.

Kollavik was a powerful nation, it held control over its neighboring kingdoms for hundreds of years. Scholars believed that it was the kollvan's respect for fallen rivals that formed deep bonds between the captured nations.

Elsa stared absently at the bustling city below her, she could almost see the entire kingdom from the castle roof. In approximately four years, the empire would be under her rule. She couldn't lie, it was overwhelming. The heiress was quite wise for her age, but taking the throne as an empress and a queen as soon as possible was too much for her. But she also couldn't wait to return home to Svalbard.

"If you brood too much you'll get wrinkles on your forehead, your majesty", a mirthful voice disrupted Elsa's train of thought. She looked over her shoulder and smiled at her close friend, "Have you very known me to care for my appearance Levy? And it's _your highness,_ I haven't taken the throne yet."

He leaned against the window frame and returned her smile. Levy had known the young royal for as long as he could remember, "No, not at all. But it would be a shame to see such a lovely face go to waste. Especially if the crowned successor fell off a roof before her time."

Elsa rolled her eyes,"Oh please, I'll be fine."

Levy carefully slid out of the window and sat next to her. The moonlight caused the roof to glint softly below them. He was slightly above average man as far as looks went, but his charisma and good nature made him quite popular. Elsa admired him for his hopeful attitude.

"Your highness, you've been acting strangely as of late. There's this distance about you", he said. The blonde furrowed her brows, she couldn't recall such things. After a long pause Levy placed a supportive hand on Elsa's shoulder, "Not only does this concern me as a future subject, but as a close friend. what's been troubling you?"

Elsa didn't look away from the view, the veins of her city burned strongly against the darkness, "I met this girl in the forest, it was Ormsa territory. She was being chased by a ururk."

Ormsa was one of the most cooperative kingdoms in the Kollavik Empire. They were a docile nation that thrived on growing crops. The kingdom mostly consisted of villages with a small city connecting everything together. Ormsa relied heavily on Kollavik's forces to keep the peace. It was a mutual trade, grain and vegetables for stable government and protection.

Levy smirked and nudged her shoulder, "I hope you haven't grown tired of my dear sister already, she's quite crazy about you."

Elsa chuckled, "She's a good girl, but it's only been two months Levy. That's not what troubles me though."

"Pardon my assumption then, please explain."

She ran a hand through her hair. At first the princess wanted to keep the information to herself, but Levy was her closest friend. He could keep a secret, "I found her by the Rift, where our world and their world separates, She found her way over somehow. I believe she injured herself badly, I hope she's alright."

His eyes widened at the news. There are many holes in the Rift. Wanderers tended to stray across it from time to time, but they usually ended up dying of some sort or being dragged back unconscious to the otherlands by hunters who find them. Very few ever made it to civilization and settled. His voice became hushed, even though no one could hear them, "What did you do with her? Where is she?"

Elsa waved her hand dismissively, "I brought her back to her world of course. There was this emblem on her gloves, I didn't want conflict to arise."

The young man studied her profile carefully, but he couldn't catch any strange quirks. Levy was curious, "What did she look like? I heard there are people outside the Rift with skin of the darkest umber, and eyes like obsidian."

The princess tore her gaze from the city as the peculiar redhead swarmed her thoughts. Her hands still tingled at the memory, the warmth she felt through her thick leather gloves. Elsa wasn't aware of the enthusiasm that crept into her voice, "She was… shorter than me, at least a head and a half. I couldn't determine her build though, armor got in the way. She had softer features than our own, skin fair and painted with freckles. Her hair was orange—much like your uncles, with these large lively eyes to match. They were the color of well polished chrysocolla Levy. I have never seen such a vibrant shade in humans before."

He soaked in the information. His murky purple eyes were still trained on her frame, "She sounds beautiful."

The blonde sighed, "She was a midnight sun."

Levy couldn't restrain his laughter, "You sound like a lovestruck fool." That was no way to address his future queen, but Elsa preferred it more more than the previous formality. Even if it costed her some pride.

The heiress scoffed,"I've never claimed to be in love with anyone. Though I wouldn't mind having her in my bed for a night or two…"

There was no shame in having a few paramours among the never indulged herself in harems or paid money for flesh, but she'd often hear gossip from the maids.

The crowned princess was a drifter, preferring the discretion and emotional simplicity that came with it. Only one _chamber buddy_ at a time and relations that never lasted really long. Romance was only there if her partner needed it, the physical festivities were Elsa's focus.

Levy patted her shoulder in a rough, brotherly manner, "You always seemed to fancy the ginger haired individual. Come, I originally came her to drag you towards the low-flame district. I intend on going."

Elsa followed her merry friend through the open window, "You know how Anastasia feels uncomfortable when I venture there…"

He laughed heartily, "What is there to worry about when her big brother is there to keep watch?"


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Light Smut Warning.

"Stop fretting Kristoff. I can defend myself if things take a turn", they were making their way through the streets of Arendelle. Anna always stayed true to her words, especially if it was a promise to herself. Once the brute caught wind of her plans he had no choice but to ensure the princess's safety. Even though she was more than capable of defending herself.

Despite his tall stature he had to jog to keep up with the redhead, "Yes and when the crowned princess-squire gets kidnapped who do you think the King will behead first?"

She grinned over her shoulder as they neared the Rabbit Hole, "Oh come on Kristoff, where's your sense of adventure?" The scruffy man never protested— _that much_ before. He's followed the fiery woman into the thickest parts of the woods before without a second thought.

He wracked his hands through his golden locks, "In the forest, where it belongs. Not interrogating a viking… _a viking,_ Anna."

Anna scoffed, "We're not interrogating him, I only want to ask a few questions."

She opened the tavern door before he could protest any further. The old establishment was emptier than last time, much to Anna's benefit. _'Less distractions',_ she scanned the area casually. A gloved hand clasped her shoulder. Kristoff's voice was low and close to her ear, "I'm gonna share a few pints with the locals."

The princess nodded curtly before sauntering towards the bar. A sense of pride always kept suspicion away. She sat in the stool and leaned against the counter heavily. The place was well kept, but that was expected from a viking. They were as clean and well-kept as royals, sometimes more. Though this man appeared as grimy as the rest of the lesser class, _' they don't have access to a lot of fresh water, I need to change this.'_

Anna waited patiently for the owner to walk over and serve her. She wouldn't lie, the large man was even more intimidating now that she could look at him more clearly. _'It must have hurt like hell'_ , she gulped audibly as she stared at the pattern of marrs. The redhead squirmed uncomfortably, she knew vikings would sometimes mark themselves with dye but she never heard of intended scars.

She was brought out of thought by the clanking of metal against wood. An overflowing pint was placed in front of her. Blue eyes darted up quickly. On better inspection, she realized that she couldn't find the man's pupils in the dark grey abyss, _'Weren't they pale the last time I saw him?'_

His voice was coated generously in an unfamiliar accent, "little young for the taverns, eh deary?"

Her brow twitched with minor annoyance, though she offered a small smile, "I'm older than you think." The viking's status dampened her natural bravado greatly. A sense of unease washed over her as she met the man's gaze again. He looked old enough to be her father.

The ginger jumped slightly when he spoke again, "Ah, which may be but..." He leaned down slowly, propping his elbows against the decent kept wood. His breath smelled oddly like mustard and spicy ale to the princess.

The viking whispered, "why a blue blood stumbling around in the outer sections? Aye, princess?"

Though there wasn't any hostility, Anna was scared. He saw through her disguise like it was an open door. _'Kings used to hire vikings for their services, he should be familiar with nobility'_ , sadly her reasoning didn't help the growing anxiety. The ginger breathed through her nose slowly before propping her own elbows against the counter. Her tone was surprisingly calm, "Cheaper price, better brew, and optional solitude. Who wouldn't pass up such a fine offer?"

Henrik stroked his well trimmed beard, his eyes haven't wavered from the scheming royal ever since she entered the tavern. He was certain she had ulterior motives. The landowner dragged a stool towards him lazily and sat down opposite from Anna, "Aye, you draw a good point princess."

Anna smiled crookedly and took a generous swig from her mug. Much to her surprise, it was actually mead—metheglin to be exact. Not many taverns distributed the drink anymore, seeing that mead was more of a home brewed alcohol. Personally, Anna loved the beverage more than wine or ale, especially when it was sweet. She savored the strong taste of nutmeg and honey, "I'm a squire sir."

"A princess who fights alongside her men. That's mighty rare in these parts", his dark eyes never left the ginger's anxious blues. He was looking for a sign, any hint of the knight's objective.

"I suppose, the nobles call it reckless", Anna silently cursed herself. Why was she getting so personal with the viking? Maybe the mead had loosened up her lips.

"A ruler that fights alongside their men, is much wiser than a ruler that governs from a glorified chair", Henrik smiled just a fraction but it was obvious to Anna. He only encountered such rulers three times in his life.

When Anna didn't respond, Henrik took a large gulp from his pint and spoke. The viking had thought of the perfect question for the nervous ginger. His voice became low, "Have you ever seen blue leaves, deary?"

Anna sat stock still, her eyes were trained on the amber liquid in her hands. Henrik could see her pupils dilate slowly, "Trees that tangled together like tangled lovers?"

' _C'mon now! Say something you dolt',_ Anna took a large gulp, nearly finishing off her pint. She choked out, "No sir."

His dark eyes bore holes into the befuddled princess. She was struggling to regain her focus. To anyone outside the conversation, it seemed like she had too much to drink. But Henrik knew better; the mad knew better. The viking had gotten his results, she had confirmed his suspicion, "why you lying deary? I thought answers were what you wanted."

"I-I do! I just…" Anna took a deep breath. She was losing her confidence in front of the man. He had found her achilles heel. It startled her how the tavern owner was so cooperative. She was expecting more resistance, "You want something out of this."

"As do you, princess", Henrik remained as calm and stable as a rock. His thick accent was familiar, but she couldn't put her finger on it. Anna tried to match his level gaze, but it was a look one could only obtain through years of battle and traveling. Her tone still held bits of uncertainty, "What do you want?"

"What do you have to offer?"

She pursed her lips. The only thing she could think of was money. Vikings trade what they couldn't take for their own. They were explorers, mercenaries—or as some of the staff would call them, clean pirates. She personally found the term silly. It was like saying chivalry was about being nice to women.

"A souvenir", Anna stated proudly.

"Pardon?" For the first time during their encounter, Henrik's expression turned into one of inquiry.

"You know where I want to travel, there must be something of value to you there. As long as it does not require taking the life of another."

Traces of humor slipped into Henrik's voice, "You do realize that all warriors must stain their sword at some point?"

Anna's gaze hardened, "I refuse to bloody my blade with your affairs."

The Viking took another swig from his pint and nodded, "Very well, I would never ask such a thing from another anyway. But I must remind you, I never said I traveled there. I could just as easily be leading you astray."

"Don't try to lie. I know that you get a monthly import from that place—the city. You've been there, you must have", the knight was too close to her goal to be deterred. Henrik has given her hope, a tail to chase after. She'd be damned if the opportunity slipped through her fingers.

He stroked his beard. It was clear that Anna meant no harm, but he still felt wary of giving such valuable information away. To a royal no less. Her stare was almost pleading to the viking. Henrik leaned in close. His voice became quiet and sharp, "You must swear to your crown—to your god, that you will not bring any harm to those lands. Not a single soul behind your castle walls must hear what I am about to say, do you understand princess?"

Anna shrank in her seat. The amount of seriousness he projected made it seem like a command. He would not hesitate to kill her if it meant protecting the elusive city.

"I swear to God that I will bring no harm", Anna gave him her most earnest expression.

They stared at each other long and hard. It wasn't until Henrik decided to accept her honesty, which he began to talk, "Listen well deary, these words are not meant to be written down."

* * *

The stench of sex and incense filled the room. A moan mixed into the sound of skin sliding against skin, fabric shifting beneath fevered bodies. They were alone of course, the heiress made sure no one would disturb them.

Elsa dragged her teeth against the sensitive flesh of her hostage's inner thigh, electing another sharp gasp. Oh how she loved that sound.

Ice blue eyes flickered up to examine her work. Brown hair splayed wildly against the sheets. Pale skin, slick with sweat and flushed with arousal. The girl before her was still recovering from her most recent orgasm. Oh but her eyes, those purple eyes sparkled with the utmost need and adoration for her captor.

Elsa hovered over her prey and lowered her lips to the younger woman's ear. "Anastasia", she purred. The brunette shuddered under the cool wintry breath. Her nerves were raw with pleasure, she swallowed thickly before answering her mistress, "y-your highness."

The royal held back her annoyance, though it didn't go unnoticed. It's been two months since they've started sleeping together, yet her partner still seemed to stick with formality. Anastasia grabbed the lingering blonde by the hips and pulled their bodies tangent. She wanted to feel every inch of her mistress, "Elsa."

Elsa smiled approvingly and met the younger girl's gaze. She loved those amethyst eyes, but she could never reflect what was in them. It wasn't that Anastasia was boring or terrible, she was a bright young lady. The princess simply felt no sparks with her, but she had never really felt for her past partners either.

Elsa wasn't very interested in being touched, she liked doing the touching. A "people pleaser" for better phrasing. She rarely indulged herself on the receiving end of these sessions, and tonight was definitely not one of those sparse occasions. Not when the foreigner was still strong in her head, it would have been rude.

Anastasia's hands roamed the muscular terrain of her back, admiring the fruits of hard labor and dedication. Elsa stole another kiss from the brunette. This time was more chaste, affectionate, "My sweet Ana."

She blushed at the name. Her mistress only called her that when they were alone. She smiled wryly at the blonde, "I am anything but sweet at the moment Elsa."

Elsa's fingers ran up and down the latter's side, making her shiver once more. She loved the power she had over the young brunette, "You're beautiful like this, that's all."

She was her masterpiece. Anastasia gasped in her ear as the fingers wandered south, "Oh? Was I not beautiful before?"

Anyone else would have graciously taken the complement, but teasing was simply a part of their relationship. Elsa enjoyed it a lot, "You were contained before, you're raw now." Her fingers had found their way past the boundary of curls and between Ana's slick folds. She teased the sopping entrance for the fourth time that night.

Anastasia bucked against her hand, "E-Elsa! Show some mercy!"

The blonde planted feverish kisses along her neck as she caressed the sensitive mound, "that's an interesting word, with versatile standards."

"To request such a thing…" Her voice was impish—almost intimidating to Anastasia's ears. The younger couldn't fathom words. Her overworked nerves were screaming from the sensation. She didn't notice Elsa's trail of kisses travel past her chest, "implies that you believe I'm being cruel…"

" _Elsa_ ", Anastasia managed to rasp between labored breaths. She clung to the sheets with trembling hands. The heiress planned to drive her over the edge that night; to let her voice drown out those concerning thoughts.

Elsa's trail ended right above her final destination. Those skilled fingers finally abandoned their task to hold the brunette's legs open. The strong scent roused a more primitive side of her and left her feeling tipsy, "but I only aim to please."

Anastasia almost screamed in pleasure as Elsa began her oral assault. It was clear she wasn't getting another word in for the night. The poor girl would definitely have a funny walk in the morning, but right now she would relish every ounce of attention from her imperial highness.


	6. Chapter 6

Elsa was lounging comfortably on the roof of a temple. The sun filtered through openings in the dark looming clouds, warming the tiles below her. She was dressed in a simple tunic, trousers, and military grade climbing boots. A shawl made of ice was clasped securely around her shoulders, simply because she was proud of her work. It took her hours to get it just right.

As casual as it seemed, there was something far more troubling going on. Elsa's eyes were trained on the city's veins with hunter like precision. She was looking for something—someone in particular. A group of people and a solo party to be exact. If one party caught her, she'd be in deep trouble. If the other, she'd be on the run.

 _'Why must my future subjects be so slow and closed minded'_ , the heiress hummed quietly to herself. She's been hiding in the same spot for an hour now and had seen both opposing teams run past her four times.

Elsa wasn't in any real trouble. She hasn't killed that annoying linguistic tutor or stolen from the royal bakery; it was the absence of such deeds. Elsa was avoiding her princess responsibilities to play tag with Levy, which unintentionally started a game of hide and seek... with the guards.

It was childish, but Elsa loved the game, _'I wonder what the foreigner is doing right now.'_ The heiress grimaced after the thought. The carrot-topped invader was still imprinted in her mind like a tattoo, _'Freya, you really must have poisoned me.'_

The blonde had only traveled over the Rift three times, but when she did it had always amazed her. The sun's warmth, strange creatures, and the variety of color. Ever changing, living, dying. She never ventured far from the shift between the planes, mundane were dangerous but fascinating. Of course she's talked to them before, mostly when the vikings paid visits to her ports. They'd bring back golden statues of tusked creatures with big ears and scarves woven from the brightest reds and pinks depicted in fairy tales.

Elsa stood up and stretched, she had stayed in one place long enough, it was time to move. The princess slid down the roof's slope, launching herself off it's edge and onto another ice laced top. ' _Where to, where to…'_

She broke into a steady run, scurrying across beams and hopping from roof to roof with acrobatic skill, _'Let's visit Ess.'_

"There you are!" Levy's voice echoed from three roofs away. He looked worn out, but there was a fire in his eyes that Elsa liked. The dark haired man was determined to capture the princess.

' _Or no…'_ She grinned at him before jumping into the street below and disappearing into the crowd, "Ullr frowns upon you Lev. I thought you were better than this." Elsa knew yelling could have alerted the guards of her whereabouts, but it appeared they all needed a good hint.

Levy growled before taking to the streets as well. He knew all the corners and roads just as well as, if not better, than Elsa. This was his home after all. "Loki's child—This is chase not predator!"

The royal's laughter blended into the city bustle. He wasn't going to let the obstacles deter him. If he couldn't keep up, he could at least keep her in his line of sight. All Levy needed was a well-placed tap, then the most sought after woman in all of Kolavic would be chasing after him. He smirked at the thought. For years the noble had been living out a common fantasy… in a far more innocent but fun way. "You can't run forever!"

The heiress had made a accidental turn into an alleyway. Levy grinned, he knew there was a dead end ahead but he forgot what _kind_ of dead end. And how eccentric her highness was. "Try me!" Elsa vaulted over the stone railing and tumbled into a sprint on the road below. Levy slammed into the frosted stone, he wasn't prepared to make that jump. The man groaned in exasperation before scaling up the brick wall and taking to the roof tops, _'this woman.'_

Much to Elsa's dismay, the street was far more crowded than the previous route. The blonde slowed down, letting the flow of the people determine her pace. It was easier for her to blend in that way, _'Levy has most likely retreated to the roofs, and the guards are probably looking for me in the larger market areas. My best chances reside in the castle and the low flame district.'_

The last part made her stumble, _'But Ana… Well, I'm just visiting Ess. It's not as if I'm paying for service.'_ Even if the heiress blended in well, there were still some differences she held between the common people around her. The air she gave off, the power that stirred in her eyes.

She rode the flow of the crowd west until the scent of burning candles and pleasant crooning stimulated her senses. Elsa checked her surroundings cautiously before slinking out of the mainstream and into the more decorated veins of her kingdom. Even in the scarce daylight hours, while business was slow, candles burned by the entrances of taverns and romance shops. It was true, that there were small taverns and pleasure houses around the kingdom, but the low-flame district was the heart of it all. This was where entertainment was constant and exciting.

Elsa sauntered down the nearly vacant paths, sparing smiles to wandering performers and busking youth. In Kolavic, prostitutes are respected fairly well for their service—at least by most. They were masters in the art of seduction and deception, providing service to those in need. Often they were even considered the cleanest, seeing that laws were made against them to prevent the spread of diseases. Not many knew, but the courtesans were the ears of the king.

The blonde dipped into a narrow alley right beside the designated brothel. It was the only recognized brothel in the kingdom, any smaller brothels were branches of it. Elsa scaled the building's wall with practiced ease, _'Where is Essy's window…'_ She kept in mind not to attract any unwanted attention from courtesans, especially ones who were working.

They were rather… fond of her. Some tried to get a night with the future empress, others dragged her away to play some silly game, but most giggled and stared as she wondered the brothel halls like a child. No, Elsa definitely did _not_ have to pay for their services; being able to say _I slept with the crowned princess_ would likely triple their income alone.

Elsa hauled herself onto the small balcony and admired the view. There still weren't any signs of Levy, or the castle guards. She peered through the glass doors, her target was busy working on papers, with her back turned to the balcony. Scandalous moans seeped through the glass barrier, Elsa could tell they were new.

' _Oh my… maybe I should come back at a more appropriate time. But then again…'_ The princess wondered how her friend could work so diligently with such noise around her. She turned the knob slowly and crept into the large room. Elsa paid no mind to the women enjoying each other on the divan to her right, they wouldn't notice her as she crept upon her prey.

She lingered right behind the olive skinned woman for a moment and basked in her small triumph. Elsa clasped her friend's shoulders affectionately and whispered in her ear, "Your new investments could use some practice."

Esmeralda nearly jumped out of her skin. She smiled and turned to greet her highness, " _Oh zhuvindo,_ why do you insist on scaring years off my life?" The romani stood from her desk and hugged the grinning blonde. Esmeralda was one of the few foreigners that survived and settled in the Kolavic Empire.

Elsa found her extremely beautiful. The lion made of thick black curls tickled her cheek and overwhelmed her nose with scented oil. Esmeralda pulled back to smile brightly, those haunting emerald eyes had always left her awestruck. The romani was about two years older than herself.

"Yet you remain as youthful as ever my friend", Elsa replied. The landowner shooed the ladies out of her office. They scurried off, only after bowing coyly to the princess. Esmeralda offered her a seat, but Elsa declined and leaned against the wooden desk instead. "It's been so long since you've visited me Elsa, I was beginning to assume you've broken your legs."

The blonde scratched her neck shyly, "Anastasia doesn't want me wandering this area."

She scoffed, "Even worse, you've been whipped by a temple servant—I thought they weren't allowed to engage in _unsanctified festivities_. Or does fucking the monarch give them a free pass?"

Elsa rolled her eyes, her friend could be quite lewd sometimes, "Watch your tongue, I won't have you mouthing off my… she's in _training_ Esmeralda, she hasn't taken the vow yet."

"Of your… fuckbuddy? Chew toy? Vow or no vow, I've seen quite a few temple servants wander the halls with my workers on their arms. They even pay double for discretion", Esmeralda smirked as she took a seat, one leg crossed over the other. The long slit along the side of her dress left a overly teasing view for the heiress. Those of the monastery weren't very fond of outsiders, or any type of foreign culture for that matter.

Elsa's eyes wandered along the romani's exposed leg until the slit came to an end just below the woman's hip. Her place of interest was cleverly hidden by the shadows. She leveled her face with the dancer's, her voice became firm, "Esmeralda, I'm giving you fair warning. Watch your tongue."

Esmeralda was never easily swayed by authority figures, never had been and never will be. Sure it has gotten her into trouble a few times, but only for good intentions. However, when it came to the young monarch…

"Or else what? You'll bite it off?" She cooed mockingly. They both knew Elsa meant no harm, she was more of a lover than anything.

"I'll have you put it to good use", the blonde found herself copying Esmeralda's cheshire smile. The space between them was waning under the banter. The romani looked quite ravishing under the candlelight. Esmeralda could feel the heat in her own cheeks now, "Oh, is that a invitation?"

"Yes… to lick the sole of my boot."

"I didn't know her highness was into such play", Esmeralda's smile grew far more crass than before. She wiggled her eyebrows playfully at the now flustered blonde. Elsa gaped like a fish before squeaking out a nervous response, "Play of what caliber?"

"Why, boot worship your highness", the dancer leaned forward. She had gained the upper hand, "The adulation of fine, shapely legs swaddled in leather. And might I say, a soldier of your stature would make a _beautiful_ idol."

"W-what? I… for the love of Odin why do you insinuate such things!?" Elsa dragged a freezing hand down her face, a vain attempt at dispersing the heat from her cheeks. As much as she adored her older friend, the performer had always left her feeling dirtier than when she entered.

Esmeralda pinched her rosy cheeks and cooed, "Because it's so cute seeing the strong stoic warrior-princess stammer and hide."

The heiress glowered pathetically through her embarrassment, "One day I'm _really_ going to punish you."

The older woman chuckled and sorted through the paperwork at hand, "I'll be waiting, _zhuvindo_."

Elsa sulked away from the desk and took a seat on the divan to cool off. The room was filled with shades of red and purple with shimmery gold. Pillows and carpets with foreign design decorated the space around her. Whenever she visited the office, she felt as though she had been transported to a different world. A world she'll never be able to see, "Esmeralda…"

" _So?"_ The romani was scowling at the expenses. No one really understood that co-running a brothel took a lot of work. Making sure courtesans were fed, happy, and disease free was like watching after a really large family of ungrateful adolescents.

"What does it mean? O zhu… zuveend-do?" The word tumbled clumsily from her mouth. She wasn't used to the fluency, though she liked the sound. Esmeralda smiled, " _O zhuvindo._ It's Romani for 'the live one'."

Elsa made a small sound of understanding. She didn't consider herself a very lively person. The monarch had an aristocratic charisma and was naturally caring, but she could count all her friends on one hand, "That name doesn't quite fit for a character like me."

She didn't know how, but she got Esmeralda to laugh, "A character like you could fall under many names. It's because you always look so awestruck whenever I see you at the market. Like a child in a pastry shop."

Elsa glared at her playfully, "Have you been spying on me Ess?"

"Oh please, you're not _that_ good looking Elsa", the romani retorted. She softened the jibe right after, "Someone has to look after you, the guards—let alone Levy, can't seem to keep you in their sight for long."

"It's not that they're inadequate, I simply don't want to be found."

"And why is that?"

She paused. Esmeralda sighed knowingly, "Running away from responsibility again. You always seem to hide behind my skirt whenever you're in trouble."

' _That is most definitely not a skirt',_ Elsa quirked a brow at the dancer's provoking attire, "Yes— _no._ I-I, ah… that is very true but it's not the case."

"Does her highness carry baggage beyond a man's understanding? In need of a woman's touch?"

Elsa flopped back and fully lounged on the overly stuffed divan. A particular shade of orange caught her gaze, sending images of the odd straggler across her mind. She wanted the mysterious ginger out of her damned head. There was no use moping over someone she couldn't even see. The blonde offered her a crooked smile, "Tell me Ess, are you ever caught up on something silly? Like a poor conversation, or a peculiar memory?"

Esmeralda paused from her work to spare her a glance. She caught on to the wryness that lingered in Elsa's voice, "Of course I have, it's the human thing to do."

The blue blood allowed the words to settle. She placed a hand over her chest, over the thunderous power that pounded along to the beat of her heart, "The human thing to do…"

* * *

Anna had no idea how she was going to get it past Gerda, let alone the _King_. She was still having a hard time convincing Kristoff to let her journey down the path once more, alone at least.

It's been a week since the viking had told her how to get to the frozen forest. With each passing day the symptoms of the mad had become crescendoed in the ginger. Staring into nothing has landed her flat on her ass multiple times during training and punishments from Ser Jørgen. She found herself obsessing over small things like the way her food is arranged or whether her braids were done the exact same way. Anna could sit in a room filled with warm colors and still catch shades of blue creeping along her peripherals. But his instructions remained branded behind her brow.

The princess feared how long she could go without being confronted by her personal maid. That's why she planned to confront Gerda first. It was late in the afternoon when she summoned the old servant to her quarters. Anna paced back and forth in her room, gnawing away at her nails. She could care less about how poor her etiquette was, _'Good lord, pace yourself.'_ She exhaled shakily and wiped her sweaty palms on her black bodice. The redhead almost fainted when a quiet knock ripped her from her thoughts.

Anna straightened herself quickly. She adopted a tone fit for a queen, "Come in."

The pudgy servant entered with a polite bow, "your highness." When she looked up, it was clear how distress the princess was. Gerda quickly moved closer to cup Anna's pale face in her hands, "Oh my dear, what ails you?"

Anna gnawed at her lip and willed herself not to chicken out at a time like this. "Gerda, I…" She took a deep breath before straightening herself. She drew her face from the servant's palms, "I'm going to that place, the forest."

Gerda gaped at her. The maid was deeply concerned for the princess, "Anna, such a place doesn't exist—"

"Why do you insist on lying to me!? I felt it with my entire _being_ ", the outburst made the servant flinch. But Anna paid no mind, "It's driving me mad—this is one fact you cannot deny. Just look at me Gerda, look at me and tell me I haven't changed in the slightest."

The princess's natural glow was a duller, ghostly version of it's former self. The maid has noticed for a while now, but she had hoped Anna's flippant nature would kick in and drive her in a completely different direction. But the mad do not forget, the mad _obsess._ And the crowned princess was well on her way to a cozy little room and a crownless head.

"Anna, it's far too dangerous to travel along that trail again. We have no idea what lies—"

" _I know where it goes!"_ It was clear how much of a grip the magical land had on the poor girl.

"No child! You _see_ but you don't _know_! You see blue, but you might taste red. You see beauty, but there is always a chance of death", Gerda quickly regretted her hostile tone and hoped she hasn't drawn the attention of any passerby's. Those words were from a book the King had buried deep within the castle walls. Those words were treason, but the princess didn't know that.

Anna was startled silent. Her anger was drowned out by her befuddlement. The old maid bowed her head in shame, she had somewhat yelled at the royal, "I'm so sorry, forgive me your highness, but I've seen knights far greater than even Ser Jørgen stumble down that road a second time and never come back. One would think that to return the first time would be a blessing, an act of God's grace upon the ignorant soul but—"

"I'd rather die stumbling down that old trail", Anna interjected tersely. Her fire was back, "Fie! The second my mind escapes me, I'll bite my tongue off and drown. What will God's grace be for me then? A quick death? Blood made of wine for one last drink? I certainly hope not, I was never a huge fan of the liquor."

It was Gerda's turn to be shocked by her twisted remark. The princess's habit of carrying out her word only fueled the servant's worry, "Sweet Lord have mercy, y-you wouldn't—"

"Oh I would, we both know I would", the ginger remained rigid and unyielding. Gerda never had any children, she and Kai dedicated their entire lives to caring for the royal family. Though it was unprofessional, she always sought after them as if they were her children, even the King himself was like a son in her eyes.

Anna's stiff resolve collapsed at the mere sight of Gerda's turmoil. She clasped the head maid's shoulders and softened her tone, "I _must_ go, Gerda. If the madness doesn't kill me off than the fact that I didn't at least try will. I didn't intend on causing you so much distress, I only wanted to inform me."

"Inform me?"

Anna scoffed, "Oh did you honestly believe that I would ask for consent?" She did have a point, they both knew how stubborn she could be when her mind was set. Gerda resisted the urge to roll her eyes, "Of course not your highness, you're as tenacious as your father." That caused the ginger to sigh in exasperation. Her father was the last thing she wanted to be compared to.

"Annna, your kingdom needs you. You're the princess, heiress to the throne. Princesses do _not_ run into danger or put themselves at sword's point—imagine what your father will do if he found out where you were going", Gerda tried to reason with her.

But her efforts only seemed to worsen the princess's nerve, "It's because I am a princess, that my kingdom does not need me. I was born to wed a man I've never met and give him _my_ children, _my_ people, _my_ body, and a crown atop his head—all because I wasn't born with some silly… mound of _flesh_. It's… it's… it's irreverence! Iniquity against my person, against my birthright!" Anna refrained from cursing at the servant. She had gone back to her pacing habit, gesturing as words flew from her mouth.

When Gerda didn't respond, Anna continued her ramble. Her passion was stifling, "But I am a man by heart Gerda. I—I feel more myself with a sword in my hand and a horse beneath me than plucking some god forsaken harp and tittering at politics. I wasn't born for breeding alone, or to decorate some nobleman's arm. Does… does that make me a mistake Gerda? To have such a fiery ambition cooped up in this womanly form?"

"I-I'll inform King Agdar immediately of your plans Anna! He will not stand stand for this, and neither will I. I didn't want to do this, but you leave me no choice", Gerda mentally kicked herself for saying such a thing. But it was the only weapon she had left in her arsenal.

She quickly turned to leave, but Anna's authoritative tone made her freeze, "I, Crowned Princess Anna of Arendelle, swear you to royal secrecy. Any resistance or omission to my command will result in drastic but just punishment."

Anna fought back the need to cringe. She hated using her power on people, especially those she held dear. But it had to be done, she had to cure herself of those hair pulling thoughts and this was the only way she knew how. Fighting fire with fire. Curing madness by chasing it down.

The old servant couldn't fathom any reason better than the ones she's already shared. She knew she had already lost this verbal war. Gerda's voice was pleading, "Think about your father Anna. If you were killed out there, or lost forever—he has already lost your mother. I don't believe the King can take another loss, especially at a time like this."

Anna smiled bitterly, the fire in her was dying out. She was tired of fighting a battle she'd already won, "I lost my father the day I buried mama alone... I will be leaving at first light tomorrow. Tonight I'll tell father that I'm taking a five day trip into the woods along with Kristoff. I'm sure he's caught wind of my inadequate behavior, it's been a couple weeks now. He'll think I'm blowing off steam."

"Is Kristoff really accompanying you?" There was some hope in Gerda's words. Though it was a false sense of security. The mountain man never really settled with her, maybe it was his lack of proper manners or the way he smelled.

Anna shrugged, "He will see me off in the woods, but I'm traveling the path alone."

"But Anna dear—"

"I don't want any unnecessary risks."

Gerda sighed heavily, she could feel her hair turning greyer by the servant was far too old to keep up with Anna's antics, but the castle staff would fall apart entirely without her to guide them, "Will that be all your highness?"

The monarch paused, replaying the verbal war thoroughly in her mind, "Yes, thank you for your time Gerda."

"Of course, your highness", she bowed stiffly before exiting the room. Gerda placed a pudgy hand over the pendent beneath her blouse. The ways of the old were ingrained into her mind. "May the gods have mercy on your soul, my dear", she muttered. Later on she would say a small prayer for the young one's journey, for she feared that the princess was already a certain type of mad.


	7. Chapter 7

The morning's light painted an eerie glow upon the party. Gerda watched solemnly as the princess readjusted the sheath at her waist. It was perfectly fine a minute ago, and it was still fine now. Anna was simply looking for excuses to avoid the servant's guilt-inducing stare.

Horas, her trusty steed, even picked up on the heavy atmosphere. Gerda had packed her a 6 day ration, despite the protest. Anna didn't like traveling heavy when she was in the woods. More cargo also meant more bandits were attracted to her. _'Like flies to shit'_ , she grimaced. The most she packed was a thick blanket, a tarp, tinder, flint and steel, a water skin, money, and a few medical supplies. Of course, she couldn't forget her most prized sword and dagger. She knew how to make snares and catch fish. Anna decided she was better off without some type of projectile weaponry to slow her down.

Though, the princess did manage to swipe an empty journal and graphite to map out the area. Everything was fitted into a simple duffel bag. She was dressed a lot warmer than last time, Anna had even opted towards higher quality armor, even if it meant less coverage due to the sheer weight. Mainly it was because of the beastly encounter— _encounters_. To be quite frank, she looked more like an expensive mercenary than a squire.

Kristoff finally exited the stables in his mountain clothes to retrieve Sven, his reindeer. He held an expression similar to Gerda's but far less potent to Anna's psych, "Are you ready Anna? We should be on our way now, while the kingdom is still asleep."

Anna nodded, "yes, I'm ready. " She felt like they were breathing down her neck, even if they were three meters away, _'Don't let them sway you. You are the strong.'_

The pseudo-mercenary hoisted herself onto the steed with practiced ease. She was about to break into a slow trot, but a soft hand caught hers in a grip so desperate it pained her heart. Gerda's eyes bore into her own with motherly concern, "Come home, Anna. Promise me you'll journey back safely."

She wasn't sure if this was another one of Gerda's tricks to make her stay. Anna thought guilt trips were the lowest one could stoop. She nodded curtly with a small smile, her posture contrite, "That's not a promise I can make Gerda. Ignorant I may be, but I know my bounds."

The servant nodded and backed away, giving Anna room to lead Horas away from the stables. Kristoff gave the head maid a solemn look before following the ginger out on Sven's back. The stationed guards didn't spare them a glance as they trotted past. The were used to Kristoff's reindeer and Anna's thirst for adventure. It wasn't till they were a good distance from wandering eyes did Kristoff question her, "Anna are you sure about this? Yes, yes—-I know I've asked you a hundred times before but are you _really_ sure?"

The sound of hooves against stone and dirt acted as a buffer between them. Anna pursed her lips and gripped the reins, "Why does everyone feel the need to question my motives?"

"Because what you're doing is foolhardy", Kristoff retorted bitterly. Anna was like a sister to him, his only _human_ like family. Of course the mountain man had his rock troll family and Sven, but if he spoke of them to the town folk they'd brand him mad and toss him away. The fellow ice harvesters were… okay, but all they knew was ice and snow. That's all they ever taught him as a boy and that's all they had to offer even now. It was a odd job, you were alone in a group of people. But Anna, she showed him so much more than that.

Anna scowled and dug her heels into Horas's hindquarters, making him trot ahead, "I've already made up my mind Kristoff. I will not be swayed."

"Oh please, who could sway someone as stubborn as you? I'm just asking you to think extra hard about this", Kristoff nudged Sven forward to keep up with her pace.

"I've put in more than enough though", more than she cared to share.

"Have you? Have you _really_? Doesn't appear so", his tone was growing more frantic and biting by the second.

Anna growled, "And why not Kristoff? Please, tell me what tips you off!" She didn't care if they woke the citizens with their bickering. She had taken more than a earful of Gerda's opinions beforehand. Kristoff on the other hand, cringed at Anna's rise in volume.

"Because then you'd understand what you are doing is suicide", he hissed under his breath. The princess didn't bother mustering a response. She was very aware of the risk she was taking and tired of fighting her love ones on the subject. Anna merely edged Horas forward; despite the blonde's protest.

Kristoff didn't question her again until they were deep in the forest. Her silence made him nervous. He knew from experience that a quiet Anna was one of the worst versions you could deal with. He sighed, "Anna—"

"You, of all people—even you doubt me. You think I've gone mad? Is that it? The man that speaks of rock trolls and prays to pagan gods thinks I've lost my sanity", her voice was so quiet it was almost lost in the woodland ambiance. She was truly hurt by his choice of sides.

Kristoff looked at her with disbelief, "What? No! You see—that is what I don't understand! How can you believe such a place is really when you can't even accept _my_ beliefs— _my family—_ "

"Because I saw it with my own eyes!"

"But deny the existence of entities not even a mountain's width away!? That's hypocrisy—"

"I never denied the rock trolls or the spirits of the woods Kristoff—"

"Yes, you have! Whenever I offer to introduce them to you, you turn me down. When ever I had to pay my respects, you busied yourself with other things. Anna, you didn't reject my faith with words but with _actions_ … And your actions are far greater than your words" , Kristoff felt relieved but still very upset with his friend.

He wanted to confront her for a while now. The whole ordeal had left him flustered because he didn't know whether it was in his head or her true intentions. Whatever it was, Anna would come clean to him.

"It's not that I deny it Kristoff it's just—I'm afraid. I didn't want to acknowledge these things because I've been taught for so long not to speculate. Of course, that hasn't stopped me from pursuing other things but… there was always this proscription on diverging thoughts", Anna tightened her hold on the reigns. She'd much rather avoid the conversation completely.

"I've always been curious—whether the fairytales of gods and trolls and elves were true, if the Old Norse was still very much alive; but then I'd wonder what would Father say? I'd sit across from my tutor, but in my mind I was back at church, haunted by promises of eternal flames if I ever turned away. There's no evidence to prove them wrong, it's not like they could really prove themselves _right_ either but—they're the ones with my future in their hands. I knew this was a battle I couldn't win and it just seemed easier to accept what was there before even my time… Sure there are small comforts, to believe that mama is safe and happy, and that there is some higher power that has my back but… for a merciful God, he is quite jealous Kristoff."

Kristoff remained silent, he was starting to understand Anna's conflict. It wasn't that she found him inferior, but that it raged war against a life she was brought up in. It wasn't obstinance, but uncertainty. The ice harvester wasn't sure what to say, honestly he felt the same way whenever he worked in the stables or passed the church. But he had living evidence of his faith; all they had was a dingy old book. That was enough to keep him grounded, "A jealous god, that sounds like a lot work, don't you think Sven?"

Kristoff distorted his voice, making it sound goofy as the reindeer nodded his head, "Sounds like a shaky relationship if you ask me."

Anna rolled her eyes, but smiled, "Oh hush." The confession felt like an anvil had been lifted off her chest. Kristoff grinned, he was glad he could lighten the mood, "But really Anna? You'll take a life threatening journey into the unknown but you won't come and meet my foster parents."

Now that she thought about it, it did seem a little extreme. Anna shrugged, "I just—this is far more urgent at the moment Kristoff. I need to do this or else I _will_ drive my head into a wall."

There was a small pause before she spoke again, "Do you believe this place exists?"

"Of course I believe", Kristoff murmured. His gaze turned dark, "I just think that this place isn't where humans should go. There's this barrier, a rift that divides that world from our own. Anna, who knows what lies over there? Animals we've never seen, nymphs, dragons— _elves—jotunn_ even. I think so many people disappear and become mad because they aren't supposed to cross that barrier to begin with. There is a _reason_ why it's there."

Anna mulled over the words as they ventured even deeper into the forest. She looked up to where the North Mountain began to split the sky into two. Despite the reformation, people were still wary and held a deep respect for the one perceived mystical place. It's snowy surface was painted a pale orange with the morning light. There was absolutely no way they could deny it reverence. The squire ran a thumb along the worn leather reins, _'I'm going to miss you Horas.'_

"Maybe they disappear because they don't want to come back… and maybe the people go mad because they have to live with the knowledge, that their life could be so much different", Anna mused. The ice harvester gave her a mindful look, he wasn't used to such talk from the feisty princess. He didn't know what to say. Kristoff only feared for her safety.

They traveled the rest of the way in silence, all the way through the neutral zone, until they reached the old trading path. The pair slowed their pace and used Sven and Horas's behavior as a detector. The farther they traveled, the more they snorted and swished their tails. Anna rubbed his neck and cooed soothingly, but her attempts didn't ease his tense muscles. She finally stopped, in fear of him throwing her off and bolting— _again_.

"Alright, this is far enough Kristoff", Anna slid off her saddle and hauled the duffle bag over her shoulder. She stroked Horas's head lovingly, whispering promises of her return with a sad smile. The steed snorted. Tough love.

Kristoff frowned, "What—at least let me walk you farther than this Anna." He didn't want to part ways just yet. The small ginger was far too important to him. But as expected, Anna declined, "Any farther and you might end up traveling with me."

"Exactly, I don't like the idea of you traveling into the unknown— _alone._ "

"Well I don't like the idea of you traveling _with_ me and getting hurt because of my foolishness", she countered.

"I think it's far more _foolish_ to go on dangerous quests without assistance", he gritted his teeth. Anna sighed, she was tired of arguing. Her voice softened, "If you came with me, then what would force me to come home?"

Kristoff remained silent, he didn't know how to counter. He knew how much Anna hated being a princess, which is why she picked up the sword and started training to become a dame. Though not many thought she would become one with her upbringing. Hell, not even Anna thought she would achieve such a title. It didn't matter to her though, she never promised anyone. Not even herself, but she'd be damned if she didn't try.

With her natural talent, Anna could just as easily run away and become a mercenary. This was the perfect opportunity for her to have a new life, a fresh start. But deep down, she still felt like she owed her kingdom in some way or another. ' _The burden of the crown',_ Anna supposed. The ice harvester pursed his lips, "Fine… but you must swear on your god you'll return. Drinking alone sucks."

She smiled at him crookedly, "I'll return if you start paying for your own pint, you moocher."

Kristoff chortled, "Fine, fine. I will."

Anna handed him Horas's reins, but she didn't release them after Kristoff grasped the leather. Instead, she looked him dead in the eyes, "In five days, I will return."

The mountain man tightened his grip, it was a promise on her own accord, "In five days, I will return these reins to you." The ginger nodded firmly, determination had settled in her eyes. They didn't exchange any more words. Instead, Anna had squared her shoulders and began her journey down the old path. Kristoff watched her until she was no longer in view.

Anna's heart was pounding with excitement and fear. Henrik's instructions were swarming like angry bees in her mind. It was all she could think about. Despite what most people thought, the princess had an impeccable sense of direction. Her mind was set, and nothing was going to her goal out of reach.

* * *

It was the brightest hour of the day. The sun played chase behind the sea of clouds. Life in Kollavik was slow during this time. A majority of the kingdom decided to bask in the sun's rays rather than busy themselves with work.

Elsa, sadly, couldn't do any of these things. She was too agitated to rest, but far too spent to attend to her duties. The foreigner hadn't stopped dancing along the back of her mind since the encounter. The castle staff hadn't questioned her attitude, but Anastasia had made note of how irritable she had become over the past couple of weeks. It was affecting her performance as a romantic partner, and a princess.

Instead of damning herself to anymore torture, Elsa had snuck out of the castle and into the woods for a run. She loved the rush she got from leaping over roots and scurrying from tree to tree. Of course she could do the same within the city, but it lacked the solitude Elsa craved. She was a creature of privacy.

' _Faster… faster',_ she looked like a spirit, or a beast on the prowl. Gusts of icy air spewed from between the mask's teeth as she took sharper turns and ran silently along the thick tree branches. Elsa was mentally keeping track of where she was, and how loud she was being. There was no need to disturb the peace, _'I just passed a marker, I believe I'm in Ormsa… this is where I saw her.'_

Elsa's face had twisted at the thought. She didn't know what to feel about the intangible woman. It bothered her how much the wanderer was engraved into her mind. The princess stopped running and slid into a crouch, nearly falling off the icy branch she was about to leap off of.

The blonde tugged her cowl over her head, far enough to cast a daunting shadow over her icy eyes. Elsa was dressed in her hunting armor. She always wore it during recreation time in the forest because it was light and good for stealth. She had even brought a bow and a blade, in case of good prey. The ice hatchet strapped to her lower back was a necessity, and was to be carried at all times outside of the city grounds.

Elsa remained crouched as she examined the area. Now that she took the time, something didn't seem right about the forest. The animals were far more skittish, they paid her no mind as they hid. The blonde took some offense, what could be scarier than her?

She looked to the sky for at least some clues, but the birds seemed to be just as confused as she was, _'What on earth fuels your existence, my feathered friends?'_ She didn't know which bird to follow, they all flew in odd directions. The huntress decided to disregard them completely and start a pursuit of her own. Elsa wasn't sure how long she had been searching, all she knew was that a snowstorm was coming. Personally she didn't mind it at all. Being the successor to the throne, she was blessed with an extremely high resistance to the freezing temperatures. Sadly, it didn't protect her from losing direction or the stinging sensation of ice grazing skin.

Her only concern was losing the progress she made on her hunt. Elsa gracefully dropped to the ground to examine the footprints in the snow. It was definitely human to some degree, judging by how deep and careless it was. The grooves were also strange. _'Boots, but not fit for the terrain.'_

The faint sound of crushed snow had reached her ears, after a moment the sound repeated. The prey was aware of the predator, no wonder she had been having so much trouble. Elsa stood up casually, but kept her eyes on the footprints. Another crunch echoed in her ears and she tried to estimate how far away the creature was and what direction. Once she figured it out, she turned in that direction and began to walk. She would normally use conventional methods, but this prey was different.

This creature wasn't familiar with the ways of the land which meant Elsa had the advantage. She kept advancing towards the thicket, calm and easy. She could feel their eyes on her, but they weren't budging, _'What exactly are you doing?'_

She was expecting them to run away—something was telling _her_ to running, but her curiosity got the better of her. Elsa was mentally preparing herself for whatever was going to happen. Prepping by physical means would break her composure. It wasn't till her shadow loomed over the bushes did the action take place.

The creature lunged at her with incredible speed. Elsa had managed to deflect the oncoming blade and disarm them, but the sheer force and weight of her attacker threw them into a heap on the ground. They grappled blindly in the snow until Elsa gained the upper hand. She managed to plant her feet firmly against the attacker's hips and launch them a good distance away.

The huntress sprung to her feet, though she had yet to draw her weapon. She was annoyed beyond belief and ready to beat the enigma senseless with her bare hands. All Elsa wanted was a good time but of course something had to ruin that as well.

The young heiress finally got to size up her attacker, but all confrontation died in shock. The fiery invader was standing before her, sword once again in hand and ready to kill. She blinked hard, just to make sure Loki hadn't played any tricks on her, _'Oh sweet Odin.'_

Anna tried to remain as calm as possible, which was hard. The air was thin, she was extremely tired from walking, and the cold only made things worse. She easily recognized the humanoid. It had the exact same mask and piercing eyes, though it's palette was much lighter compared to before. _'Probably to camouflage better',_ Anna mused. The foreigner wasn't sure whether to trust the being or not. It _did_ save her life last time, and even dragged her back to her land.

"Jeg utbytte. Se? Ubevæpnet", Anna's skin prickled as the warped voice sliced through the air. What she found disturbing, was the fact that she somewhat understood what the thing was saying. Words like "yield" and "unarmed". That coupled with the way they held their hands out wide and relaxed, it was obvious they meant no harm. She wasn't going to drop her sword though. She was freezing, tired, hungry, and in no mood for trouble, "Why are you tracking me?"

Elsa paused, just to register the language. _'Ah, I see'_ , it was one of the languages she was required to learn. The vikings used it often when they came to the docks. It was some newer, stranger version of their own. She didn't take kindly to the foreigner's tone though, "You're in no position to assume power."

Anna blinked slowly, her sword nearly slipped from her fingers, _'It—it can understand me?'_ Henrik never told her about that detail. Honestly she wasn't expecting to run into anyone. "I—you—how—did you—" she took a deep breath, which did nothing for her psych, "Lord help me."

Elsa cocked her head to the side, "Lord?"

"Wha—yes, you know—God?" Anna regretted her response. As far as she was concerned, this land was exactly like the old bedtime stories and folklore. Where mundane could conjure up forces of fire and ice, there wasn't one god but many.

The blonde was about to ask for better clarification, but the sky had caught her attention. The falling snow had become far heavier. She definitely did not want to be caught in the storm. And by the looks of her new acquaintance, the ginger wouldn't last through a blizzard in these lands; at least not alone. Elsa took a step closer, which made the squire take a step back. She grimaced behind her snarling mask, "What will I gain from harming you?"

"I-I don't know. Maybe you'll turn me in for ransom, or sell me on the black market as a sex slave—"

"Sex slave? Don't be ridiculous", Elsa furrowed her brows. If anything she would at least keep the foreigner for herself. Not even for sex or labor, just to learn more about the other world. Then after a while she'd just let her go.

"How am I being ridiculous? That is very possible!"

"If I wanted to sell you, I would have done it the first time I saw you", she had the perfect opportunity back then.

' _True'_ , Anna pursed her lips, _'But then again they might have been financially secure then, or their family might have been safe… if they even have a family. Do monsters and spirits have families? I highly doubt this thing is human.'_ People did things for many different reasons. But honesty, Anna was looking for a reason other than the huntress's appearance to fight her. In her defense, it was rather scary. As if she was standing before the god of winter or a demon of the snow.

Anna followed the stranger's concerned gaze to the clouds. It was starting to snow hard, which definitely wasn't good on her behalf. The ice demon called her attention once more. The way frosted breath escaped between it's metal teeth only made it far more intimidating, "you can either yield and live, or freeze to death in the storm."

The ginger scowled. She didn't like submitting to anybody, even over small things like the last cookie or who was white during a chess game. But this was a life or death situation, and her supplies definitely would not last her for god knows how long the storm would rage on. She was already in bad condition. Her feet ached, nausea had taken its toll, and it was getting harder and harder to breath. Anna would have stopped a while ago to readjust herself, eat, rest, add a another layer of warmth to keep her comfortable; but the ice demon had robbed her from that break with all the tracking. The creature had turned during the long wait and began to inch away. Anna lowered her defenses, "Wait!" The person turned around.

Anna sheathed her sword reluctantly and retrieved the duffle bag from its hiding spot, "I yield." The wind was starting to pick up. The stranger reached into one of its pouches and pulled out a long orange sash that practically glowed against the wintry palette around them.

The huntress tied one end to her wrist and held out the other end for Anna to grasp. After she secured the sash, the blonde began trudging towards civilization. Anna decided to save her strength rather than converse with the enigma. The temperature was dropping quickly, and the airborne snow was scratching at her skin, _'and I believed Arendelle storms were the worst.'_

They journeyed for over a hour, fumbling over roots, snow, and hidden rocks. Anna held on to the bright orange sash, even though it was tied tightly around her wrist. She was practically deaf and blind. The ginger had almost given up hope, until a path became clear and signs of civilization peeked through the freezing darkness.

The pair hobbled through the thicket of snow until the light grew closer and multiplied. By the time they reached the door, Anna was about ready to pass out. Her body couldn't take any more of the cold. She couldn't tell whether the building was a tavern or a inn. Both had ale and a spare cot, so she could care less which it was.

After a few loud bangs, they had been granted access. They rushed inside before the wind could beat anymore ice into their clothes. Anna could barely register the heat wriggling its way through the layers of snow, the lethargic music that hung in the air, or the strange looks she was receiving. All she could focus on was her ragged breaths and not dying then and there.

' _Henrik is going to get a piece of my mind when I return',_ Anna fought back the urge to sway where she stood, though her efforts were in vain. Her eyes semi-focused on her snow caked companion and the owner of the venue. They were speaking in the native language. Her ears were too damaged to pick up any familiar words. The owner beckoned them through a decorative arch which immediately led to a narrow flight of stairs. The strange being finally gestured her to follow.

The dusty floor creaked under Anna's clumsy gait, but she could care less. The traveled up another flight of stairs. The ginger noticed that the floor didn't have as many bedrooms. They finally stopped in front of a vacant door and was given a key in exchange for currency.

Under regular circumstances, Anna would have been very cautious about rooming with a stranger. But at the moment that didn't matter. The squire had already threw her bag to the floor and stumbled over to the most comfortable looking cot. She wasted no time peeling off armor and layers of wet clothing until she was dry.

Elsa watched as the ginger comically collapsed on the cot and crawled under the furs provided like a drunkard. _'I haven't seen that in a while',_ she grimaced at the mess made by the straggler. Elsa wasn't going to fix that though. Instead, she walked up to the stone bowl that was stationed on the table and pulled out a small bag out of one of her pouches.

There already appeared to be tinder and a couple of stones in the bowl. The blonde sprinkled some of its contents into the bowl and lit the wood on fire with flint and steel. The fire burned a bright blue before settling into a containable orange flame. A sweet smell permeated the room as it became toasty and warm. She sighed before strippping off her own gear and neatly stacking it on the rack by her cot, _'I wasn't expecting to be out this long.'_

Her eyes landed on the sleeping girl across the room. From Elsa's angle the stranger was backed in the warm glow of the fire. It melted her copper locks into shimmery red-gold and added an ethereal appearance to her flushed skin. _'She… exists',_ something stirred in Elsa. The thought that had been giving her hell all this time was laying before her. She just wanted to sit and observe from afar, but also felt the need to reach out and confirm her tangibility. The heiress decided to create a third option and left the stranger to her slumber.

* * *

When Anna woke up, the first thing she saw was a familiar fur pelt hung up across the room. Confusion shrouded her thoughts as she glared from the safety of the furs. Recollections of earlier finally crashed down upon her fragile mind, "Oh… yes, that's right. Saved again by the beastie."

Anna made sure the winter demon was absent before fully sitting up, _'it's gear is here.'_ She inhaled sharply, taking in the oddly sweet smell and the scent of food. There were two bowls on the table and a mug. The larger one, strangely enough, was on _fire_. The other contained a hardy looking meal.

She swung her feet over the edge of the the mattress and tucked them back into the comfort of her boots. By reflex she strapped her sword around her waist. Anna set to work straightening things up before anything else; hanging her sopping wet clothes to dry, stacking her armor neatly in its corner, checking her duffle bag twice for any missing goods, and even fixing her plaits.

Anna finally hobbled over to the table in the center of the room and peered into the bowl. Chunks of meat and potatoes and some other cubed vegetables simmered in a thick broth. Strips of bread and herbs acted as garnish. She would like to call it stew, but she wasn't entirely sure.

She picked up the spoon and cautiously stirred the contents around before savoring a spoonful. _'Dear God this tastes amazing' ,_ her eyes widened in delight. Anna refrained from scarfing down the meal in one go. Instead she paced herself by watching the fire dance and wondering where her travel buddy could be, "I don't even know its face… less that mask is their face."

"Det er ikke."

"Jesus Christ!" Anna latched onto her sword's hilt in a death grip, but relaxed as soon as she recognized the inhuman droning. She turned in her chair to give the creature a nasty look—but things rarely worked to her advantage. Anna's eyes widened and her jaw went slack in a un-lady like fashion.

' _Christ?'_ Elsa closed the door behind her and leaned against it. Even without the heavy outerwear and cowl, Anna couldn't really tell what the stranger was, but there was a certain feminine air about the enigma. She could see the slight outline of hips through thick trousers. A dark leather article bound their chest but gave an appealing curve to their waist. The overall structure vaguely reminded Anna of an elizabethan corset, _'Who wears a corset in the woods?'_ The rest of the entities attire was common, as far as equipment went. Boots, gloves, and blade holster.

And of course, the damnable mask.

Her eyes finally met the stranger's icy stare. Anna feared she had looked too openly. She decided to take a shot in the dark, "You're... a woman?"

The blonde quirked a brow, but nodded anyway, "Yes... so are you." She wasn't sure why it mattered.

Anna finally released her sword with a sigh. It slid back into its sheath. "I was expecting you to be more... masculine." By masculine she really meant grotesque and monstrous, but she didn't want to risk offending her. To be fair, the masked woman was incredibly tall.

"My apologies, were you looking for a knight in shining armor?"

"Hardly", she scoffed. Anna would much rather be the knight than be saved by one. She pushed around the remainder of the stew. The ginger wasn't sure why she felt so nervous.

"Then..." the blonde strolled over to the wooden table and sat across from her, "what _are_ you looking for?"

Anna tensed up, she knew this question was going to be asked. She sat up straight and adopted an air of confidence, "Who am I answering to?"

The ginger still had no idea who this person was or entirely how things worked in these lands. But one thing she did know, was that names always mattered. And she didn't have to answer to commoners.

The woman contemplated telling Anna about her identity and exactly how much literal _and_ political power she held over her at the moment. Instead she settled for something less shocking, "You're answering to Elsa of Svalbard. Unit of the King's Regiment."

 _'She's a part of the military—under specific order of the King!?'_ Anna couldn't stop herself from gnawing away at her lip. She didn't know what she was expecting. Henrik told her to avoid any contact with the military.

He said that most soldiers were not fond of outsiders, they often took advantage of them. Anna had gotten lucky, but sadly she didn't know just how lucky she was. Henrik had given her a task, one that lied in a special little settlement. All she really wanted to do was camp out in the woods for a few days, only to clear her mind.

Anna folded her hands in her lap, "I needed to reaffirm my memory. I had to make sure this wasn't just some crazy dream. This land... it's scenery plays tricks upon the mind, like a drug." She stopped herself before anymore thoughts could spill.

"Is that your only reason for entering? To satisfy an addiction?"

"Yes—no, not an addiction! It just—calls to me", the squire was trying to conjure a full picture of Elsa's face. She wondered what lied beneath the shiny metal. Anna still wasn't fully convinced that the woman was even human. But to be fair, Elsa wasn't entirely convinced by Anna either.

Her story and her movements did not add up to the blonde. If she truly wanted to wander, then her footprints wouldn't have been so confident and straightforward. It was clear to Elsa that the squire was heading straight to a town in Ormsa, _'but for what?'_

Elsa folded her hands on the table, "May I ask who you are? You're from a high status I presume, judging by the emblem on your gloves from our last encounter."

Anna peered at the mug. She was thirsty, and it smelled of spirits. But she didn't drink unless her companions accompanied her, "Anna of Arendelle. Dame—"

"In training?"

Anna scowled, "that's a brash assumption."

Her captor leaned back, she could see the humor in those eyes. It only irritated her more. "But I'm right, yes?"

"Regardless of the fact—I'm very capable of taking you down if I wanted to!" The princess didn't know why, but she felt the need to prove herself. Even if she was a squire she was a very skilled swordsman and fought just as well as any other experienced knight. Being teased and underestimated was nothing new to her though. It only made victory sweeter.

Elsa's smug expression was safely hidden behind the mask, "Pardon, I didn't mean to offend you. I only assume because you look rather young for a dame."

"I wasn't offended, I was just making sure there aren't any misunderstandings", her tone was curt, but polite. The type of voice used to reprimand servants without openly voicing displeasure. It only made the soldier smile.

 _'Responds selectively, appears old enough to bare children, perfect posture, stress on skills, lack of slang in vocabulary... renegade princess? Or perhaps a nobleman's daughter',_ Elsa's smile turned into a grin. She stumbled across quite a lucky find, "How long do you plan to remain here?"

The squire wasn't sure now that her plans had been altered. She wasn't even sure how much time had passed. It appeared dark out, "Four days and five nights, then I'll return—wait, how long had I been asleep?"

"Not long, the night is still very young. Our days are short here", Elsa couldn't tell exactly how much time had passed due to the raging storm outside. The clouds were so thick they blocked out any indication of night and day. But her internal clock had told her the sun had retired a while ago.

Anna sighed, "That certainly isn't good." All she could do was hope her schedule wasn't delayed too much—or destroyed all together. She wasn't sure what the soldier was going to do with her at this point. It wasn't like she could just sneak away from her. Anna had no idea where to go from there.

Elsa studied her for a moment, taking in the ginger's vexation and doubt. She was busy calculating all the risks, "Regardless of morality, there is a blizzard outside. Neither of us are going anywhere."

"That is true", the squire groaned. All she wanted to do now was crawl under the furs again and brood angrily to herself.

 _'Ana's going to be worried senseless... and angry. Very, very angry',_ Elsa pursed her lips. The blizzard wasn't doing anybody any good, "Yes."

She stood up and walked towards her pile of possessions, "Hopefully the storm will be gone before first light. In the meantime, you should rest. That bit of sleep barely did anything for your condition."

Anna furrowed her brows. She did feel disgusting and sluggish, but her companion's whereabouts were far more concerning, "Wait, where are you going?"

Elsa was busy rummaging through her belongings, "To the tavern below."

"Hey—uhm..." The ginger wrung her hands together and cleared her throat. She was afraid that her request was too forthcoming. Elsa turned to give her full attention.

"Forgive me if I'm out of term, but why not take off your mask? We're no longer outside and it looks uncomfortable", Anna instantly regretted her words. But now she had no choice but to stick with them.

The blonde paused. She didn't want to stir up the locals. Not everybody in the empire knows what she looks like, but she visited Ormsa quite a bit. So there was a chance that at least one person in the crowd would spot her. Elsa hated the attention. She didn't like being doted over.

A bit of mischief twinkled in her eyes, "You would love to see my face, wouldn't you?"

"Well—yes. How else would I be able to identify you?" Anna didn't know how, but the soldier's tone annoyed her.

Elsa tossed the coin purse leisurely between her gloved hands, "I think this mask is much easier to recognize than my face. Besides all you need to remember are my irises."

With three easy strides she was already at the door and ready to escape any sort of debate the ginger had to offer. Elsa casted her a final look before shutting the door behind her, "Get some rest."

Anna glared at the wooden slab for a moment before standing. She felt like Kristoff was babying her all over again, _'How is Kristoff fairing without me? He's a grown man, he can take care of himself. I hope Gerda is well... and Jørgen... and Horas... and father...'_

She dug the empty journal out of bed bag and sat in the wooden chair once more. Anna didn't want to go back to sleep, no matter how much her body protested. So instead she took to drawing.

Her body relaxed under the familiar weight of graphite. She warmed up with a few quick doodles before redrawing everything she saw today. The intimate trees, rock statues, wood carvings, and odd forest critters. She did so until the snarling mask and daunting blue state came into mind.

Anna turned to a new page and dedicated it solely to the soldier. There were many questions she wanted to ask. Like how she knew her language and why did she save her, how old she was, what the culture was like, what was offensive, where there really dragons and elves?

The problem with her curiosity was that Anna had a hard time determining what was private and what wasn't. It didn't matter because by the time Elsa came back, the princess had fallen asleep at the table and fire had dimmed.

Her soft snores and mumbling made Elsa smile under the mask, _'Well, she did go to sleep. Just not in the most conventional place.'_ She strolled silently towards the squire and picked her up with caution. She couldn't leave Anna in such an uncomfortable position.

Elsa laid her on the cot and tucked her safely beneath the furs before any ideas could wiggle their way into her head. She leaned against the wooden table and took time to observe the ginger once more.

Anna's entire being was foreign to her, and vice versa. But Elsa had slightly different reasons. The woman brought out feelings she could not identify.

And she was not amused.

Intrigued, but not amused.

The blonde liked having control over herself. She reveled in her ability to shape and mold herself to any given situation, but this didn't fit any of her expectations.

Elsa sighed, her eyes settled on the open journal beside her. The page was full of Anna's journey through the blue forest, while the other was full of her. Elsa had to admit, the sketches were well done. Though the redhead messed up on the intimidating mask and her glorious hair. The monarch quirked a brow at the smaller doodles of her. She found Anna's attempts at guessing her face odd but entertaining, _'What a strange human.'_


	8. Chapter 8

Anna woke up to the sound of crackling fire and clinking metal. It took her a moment to realize where she was, then another to mentally prepare herself for today's adventure.

She opened her eyes just in time to see Elsa secure the mask to her face. Anna scowled, _'So close.'_

The blonde casted her a look before picking the strange corset off the cot. Anna caught a glimpse of the peculiar scrawls and ridges on its underside, _'It's thicker than I thought.'_

The princess sat up and childishly rubbed the sleep from eyes, "G'mormin..."

Elsa turned to face her while she adjusted the leather around her torso. Giggles threatened to claw their way up the blonde's throat, but she managed to choke them back with a well placed cough. She accidentally switched languages in the process, "God morgen."

"What?" Anna narrowed her eyes, one closed a little more than the other. It was too early for a simple translation. The braids she fell asleep with had somehow evolved into the monstrosity Gerda affectionately named, _that_. Indolence sucked the moisture from her mouth and numbed most of her brain.

Elsa cleared her throat and trained her eyes elsewhere, "Good morning."

"Oh..." Sleep was Anna's most genuine bedfellow, even though it left her looking rather puerile. It didn't take long for her to snap out of the daze. She quickly checked for drool and wiped the crust from her eyes before attacking her infamous bedhead.

Elsa slid on her winter coat and began fastening the buttons, "how are you fairing?"

"Much better, thank you", Anna managed to tame her hair into its original plaits before standing up. The only light source came from the small window on her right, since the fire from before had died into embers.

She was still very skeptical about Elsa. Watching the soldier lace and buckle armor into place was captivating. The same way as a child she'd seen Ser Jørgen walk out of her father's office in the morning. His polished armor reflected the sun's rays as he strode down the hall with his hand on his sword. He moved with such importance and confidence; it was almost highfalutin.

She wanted to wear the armor, to swing that sword with purpose. After many arguments and reluctant groveling her father had finally appointed Ser Jørgen as her mentor, but robbed her of the traditional becomings of a squire.

The armor Elsa wore was dull, mainly consisting of hardened leather, and some strange metal Anna concluded was iron. Too uniform to be mercenary, too under dressed to be considered military in other countries.

Anna followed the blonde's lead and suited up. It wasn't as though she could safely sneak away from her. Anna had no idea where to go, where she was, or the culture of the land. Though the languages held some similarity, it was barely enough to build a bridge between them.

 _'Besides, she is very well equipped for speed and agility, running isn't an option. Maybe... I can play the situation to my advantage'_ , the ginger spared her another glance before readjusting her chest-plate. "Where are you taking me?"

Elsa leaned against the wall, fully prepared for the world outside the inn. It was a rather debatable topic, but inevitable. The blonde wasn't quite sure what to do with Anna.

She couldn't just let her go. The foreigner obviously held some importance and only intended on temporary stay. What if some other authority figure found her? Or one of the more nefarious citizens took advantage of her ignorance in the land? What if the rebellious blue blood knew more than she was letting on and was actually a spy?

 _'But her words were honest, until I asked for her title'_ , Elsa crossed her arms.

Anna shifted nervously in the silence, "I only assumed—seeing that keeping me is in your best interest."

Elsa was enjoying the latter's unease, "I'd have to knock you unconscious and return you to Arendelle."

The princess tensed up at the news. She getting accustomed to the demonic drone Elsa possessed, "However, you managed to find your way to people—with some assistance, so you have the right to stay. But you are still seen as a threat, that makes you my prisoner."

Anna jaw slackened, "Prisoner!? You can't just declare me as one—don't you have to answer to a prefect? Your commanding chief or general or whatever? For god's sake—the King!?" She was angry with herself for messing up so terribly.

 _'I doubt they have the valor'_ , Elsa withheld the childish comment. Provoking the redhead was something she wanted to avoid, no matter how entertaining it seemed. Anna truly was a prisoner, under the circumstances provided. But Elsa didn't want to have to explain all of that. For the sake of brevity, the blonde straightened her posture, "I work under the authorization of her imperial highness." She wasn't _wrong._ She was her own boss in a sense and under law there were certain things she wasn't allowed to do.

Anna looked her over. Even if Elsa held some place in the King's Regiment, Anna figured she couldn't be very high in the line of command. She couldn't understand why the princess would entrust someone like her with such power. There was a certain air about the stranger that seemed... peculiar.

 _'Why would the princess have such power anyway. I've never been able to order soldiers around like this'_ , The redhead narrowed her eyes, "I mean no disrespect, but her highness appears rather queer."

"What is... queer?" Elsa's brows knitted in confusion. She didn't mean for her curiosity to slip. Though the princess appeared rather fluent in the language, she only knew enough to hold a conversation with the Vikings and other residence that found their way into her kingdom.

Anna gave her a look before she remembered the language gap between them. The redhead had finished layering herself in clothes and armor. She slung her duffel bag over her shoulder, "It means strange or odd. But if you turn it into a verb, queering, it means to spoil or ruin. I believe in some countries it's slang for sick or uh... homosexual."

She honestly didn't know why she explained the word so thoroughly to the blonde, _'Oh god I hope I didn't offend her or disrespect the princess. I kind of like my head.'_ Anna could feel a cold sweat building up.

Elsa mulled over the new word, testing it out for herself with a certain innocence in her tone, "keer."

"No, queer. Kweer."

"Kwee-r... Queeer", The blonde repeated slowly as she concentrated on the ceiling. Anna didn't know how or why, but the huntress managed to sound oddly pleasant through the demonic distortion and intimidating apparel. She swelled with pride, "There you go."

"Hm..." Elsa hummed lowly. She was pretty sure someone's had described her in such a way before, but she couldn't find the right translation in her own language. The spelling was completely different. Another word caught her attention, "What is homo... sesool?"

A blush made it's way to her cheeks. Honestly she didn't mind people who identified as such; even if many frowned upon it. But there was still a huge gap between cultures, and she didn't want to step out of line, "O-oh it's uh... a funny word actually—Anyway, we should start traveling, since the days are short. Right?"

 _'Doesn't sound very funny'_ , Elsa shrugged off the thought, "Let's leave."

"Wait!"

"Hva?"

Anna gave her a strange look, "Aren't you going to like—use shackles on me or something?"

The blonde paused, her hand on the door knob, "Hvorfor—I mean, why?"

"I don't know, what if I run?"

They stared each other down for a moment. For some reason the ginger's urge to fight Elsa was growing. Like when Kristoff would make jokes about her sword being twice her size. The heiress smirked beneath the mask, though her voice was leveled, "Run where?"

Anna glared at her and bit her inner cheek. She wanted to retaliate but there was nothing she could say that would sound logical.

"Tell me where, give reason, and then _maybe_ I'll restrain you", the blonde stalked out of the room without another word. Anna followed after her with a petulant look on her face.

Even without the biting cold to stunt her motor skills, the princess still made quite a bit of noise while walking. She took in the details of her surrounding as they made their way to the tavern below.

It was empty for the most part, wenches and two directionless customers loitered around. The slow music from before had been replaced with small talk and whining floor boards. What caught her eyes the most were the strange markings etched into the wooden frames. _'Maybe that's the written language'_ , Anna mused.

The stragglers were just as curious about her as well; they casted looks whenever they thought the princess wasn't looking, but oh did she notice. Anna was caught between awkwardly waving and staring them down.

Their features were more defined compared to other Scandinavian nations. Sharper noses, well cut jaws, and eyes instinctively narrowed to counter the icy wind. They were a lot taller as well, like Giants.

"Would you prefer a leash over shackles?" Elsa stood in front of the entrance, all the way across the room. She had already notified the owner and returned the key during Anna's dozing.

Anna bit the inside of her cheek and caught up quickly, _'Nothing ever goes my way.'_

The pair had been trekking through the woods for hours—not that either of them minded. Silence had been scarce, tarnished by the endless banter between them.

It mainly consisted of Anna commenting gleefully on everything she saw while Elsa tried to keep up with the ginger's flippant curiosity.

Names of herbs, the local shrubbery, strange forest creatures she's never seen—Anna wanted to know them all and the heiress answered with ease. Though when it came to culture and personal life, she was tight lipped.

Of course, there were questions Elsa wanted to ask her as well. But she took to observing the princess instead and mulling over trivial details. Elsa found her antics innocent. The blonde was pulled from her thoughts as Anna spoke up, "So, the kingdom we're in now—what's it called?"

"We are in Ormsa." The huntress felt as though she answered that question before.

"Ormsa... is that where you live?"

"No", Elsa quirked a brow, _'why is that important? Didn't I answer this?'_

"Where do you live then?"

"Kollavik."

The ginger made a face, "Well yes but where in Kollavik?"

"Somewhere", Elsa responded flatly.

Anna huffed angrily, "Why are you being so short with me?" She would much rather get straight to the point than beat around the bush.

"Why do you wish to know where I live?" She countered.

"I'm trying to get to know you better!"

"You're my prisoner, you don't have to know me."

Anna scoffed, "Prisoner? Hardly. I've seen shepherds do better jobs than this."

Elsa merely rolled her eyes, she didn't know what "shepherd" meant. Even though it appeared like the blonde was being terse and irresponsible with her prisoner. There was far more method to her madness.

There was a trading route that led from Ormsa all the way to Kollavik—which would have saved a lot more time. But merchants and farmers used that road often to transport goods. Elsa didn't want any rumors of fiery haired trespasser spreading, nor did she want to actually use restraints on the ginger. There was also the chance that Anna would memorize the road and use it as a means to escape—if the opportunity was provided. In a strange way, she wanted the princess to herself.

Using the woods as a restraint allowed Anna to explore, but keep her contained without much effort. Elsa furrowed her brows, _'That seems a bit manipulative... maybe my tutor was on to something.'_

"Elsa", Anna interrupted her thoughts once more. She had taken to balancing on the thick roots.

The blonde watched her as she sauntered on ahead, it was hard not to, "Yes?"

"Do dragons really exist?" The princess almost regretted her words as soon as they escaped. Now that Anna thought about it, the question seemed childish, _'Norway is too cold for reptiles, it would be impossible for something so large—'_

Demonic chuckling made her stumble and fall off the tree root. "Of course they do, what would make you think otherwise?"

 _'Are you a dragon?'_ Anna stared at the mask as frosty air escaped it's teeth, her cheeks grew redder with embarrassment, "W-well, it's too cold for most reptiles to inhabit—especially something that large. And even then, there hasn't been any sightings of dragons for centuries."

"Well, who said the dragons want to be found?" Elsa knew where many of the dragons resided. She would much rather keep sensitive information away from the squire.

Anna narrowed her eyes and adapted an incredulous tone. On one hand she found the existence of dragons exhilarating, but on the other it was hard to believe, "Well when as the last time you've even seen a dragon?"

The soldier blinked. She thought back to the last time her Viking friend had paid a visit to her lands to trade. Dragon dung made impeccable fertilizer, which allowed Ormsa to excel in agriculture despite the harsh land. It was the only reason why bread and vegetables were so affordable to the less fortunate. In return, the Iztodic Empire traded a share of the crops and fine uruk pelts.

Anna smirked in the silence. A sense of pride washed over her for supposedly one-upping the blonde—for the first since they met. "fourteen lights I believe", Elsa murmured more to herself, _'It could have been a little less than.'_

Anna balked, "you're lying."

The response was innocent, "What will I gain from lying to you?"

"Control, the ability to manipulate the situation to your will. You've avoided quite a few of my questions", the situational irony almost made Elsa smile. The ginger was far more perceptive than she let on, but not enough for to realize she was already being used.

"Only the ones that I don't feel comfortable answering."

" _See?_ Manipulation through withheld information", Anna pointed at her accusingly. Her eyes were narrowed into slits.

Elsa rolled her eyes, "Well then, Anna of Arendelle. How would you like it if I asked you where you lived?"

The squire huffed, "I'm a prisoner, why should you care? I wouldn't want to alter my value, less you sell me off." Her attitude faltered once she realized how contradicting she was being.

Elsa groaned loudly and halted. The first time she's openly voiced her aggravation since they've left the inn, "I _told you_ I wouldn't."

"Words are meaningless in the absence of trust", Anna retorted bitterly and stopped as well. The saying had unearthed some negative thoughts.

"Yet you expect me to take your words without a second thought", She didn't know why she was so offended by the ginger, "For someone so guarded, you haven't resisted much at all. It's almost as if you want to be sold off." _Or a reason to not go back._

The words clicked in Elsa's mind as they stood across from each other. They had made quite a bit of progress despite walking. The blonde would have been back at the castle by now, if she could run through the canopies like she normally did, _'By the looks of it, we'll arrive long after twilight.'_

Anna became stiff. It wasn't that she forgot about the big downside of the situation. It's simply that Elsa hadn't given her much to protest. She wasn't being openly abused, _'yet.'_

"What good would it do me? As you implied before, I don't have many options. Is it wrong for me to learn instead of speculating the worst?"

The huntress mulled over her words before nodding, "being optimistic I see."

"Seizing the opportunity while it's in my reach", Anna said. Elsa began walking again with her prisoner following close behind, "That's a different way to go about it."

They covered a fair amount of distance in the silence. The princess had taken to just observing, despite being riddled with more questions.

Anna watched as her companion vaulted over surfaced roots and leisurely ducked under branches heavy with snow as if she walked the path a thousand times before, though there hasn't been any rhythm in their surroundings. No markers or trees that held more significance than its brethren to define a trail.

"How old were you? When you began your training—to be a soldier that is…" They had yet to see each other's skills.

Elsa didn't spare her a glance, "If you ask me a question, will I get an answer of your own in return?"

The ginger paused before nodding, "It's only fair."

"I don't think our concept of time is the same... My tenth summer solstice. My father thought my habit of wandering would do me good in the field", Elsa stepped aside and held a branch up for Anna to pass.

She gave the blonde a suspicious look before walking through, "He encouraged you?"

"What is encourage?"

"To give support, hope."

"Oh… then yes, I guess", Elsa trailed behind her, "Your turn."

Anna focused on intensely on her footing. They were climbing up a rather steep incline where the snow had fallen generously, "I had to beg pa—father. I officially began at age twelve... so my twelfth summer solstice I believe? Wait, my birthday _is_ on the summer solstice, so it translates exactly."

"That is a little old for knighting."

"Yes well, it's a surprise he even allowed his _daughter_ to do such a thing", Anna smiled wryly. The council was in an uproar when her father made the decision. It was one of the happiest days of her life, watching defiantly from King Agdar's side as their old splotchy faces turned an even shade of red.

Elsa caught on to the cynical change of tone, "Are women not allowed to wield a sword where you live?"

"In the King's honor? Not often. Female mercenaries do tend to pass by from time to time, but it's still frowned upon greatly", Anna rolled her shoulders. They had become stiff from all the weight.

 _'That's rather unreasonable'_ , the blonde was about to comment when the earth shook. Anna froze in horror, she had felt it as well.

Birds shot into the air as the tremors grew closer and more terrifying. Elsa quickly grabbed Anna's wrist and bolted in a seemingly random direction, _"Løpe."_

Anna tried to keep up with the blonde as soon as her wrist was released. The adrenaline proved a much needed boost. She wasn't as well equipped as she needed to be for the obstacle ridden terrain. Warm yes, but still lacking in dexterity.

A familiar cry resounded behind them as they took a sharp turn and scurried into the forest brush. Her heart dropped when Elsa disappeared from view.

She slid to a stop and looked around frantically for the blonde, but all she saw were branches and snow. Anna whined pathetically when another yowl shook the trees and sent birds flying, _'shit shit shit.'_

Anger barely existed amongst her fear and distress over the situation. The only thought that ran through her head was a ridiculous saying Jørgen taught her: When in doubt, evaluate.

But Anna prefered stabbing it with a pointy stick—a metal pointy stick.

She took off again, ramming through brittle brambles to gain some distance. Anna pivoted and dug her boots into the sodden ground. Legs parted, shoulders squared, and body coiled into a power position. She drew her sword and held it firm, _'To heaven or hell. If I die, I will die swinging this sword.'_

The tremors became more violent and bone rattling as the princess said her prayers. It's horns cleaved right through the twisted branches and carved through the frozen layers of bark. Dirty white hair thrashed about as the beast drew closer. She twitched in fear.

A force collided with Anna's right, knocking her a rough fifteen yards in the opposite direction along with all the air from her lungs. She tumbled off the leveled ground and into a dip in the earth.

But this time the squire was prepared. Her duffle bag thumped a few meters away and the world swerved violently, but her concentration didn't break. Her mouth dropped when she realized who had sent her flying. _'What the hell is she doing!?'_

Anna scuffled to her feet as fast as she could through the thick snow and unsheathed her dagger. Groping around for her sword would only waste time. Her vision cleared enough to see Elsa, standing strong where she once stood— _unarmed_. She thought back to their first encounter. How the blonde had saved her from a similar beast with only her bare hands.

But the terrain was different, poor footing and an abundance of rocks and trees to be smashed against.

The princess wasn't sure what she was going to do when she climbed back up the slope, or how efficient her dagger would be against the monster or her captor. But Anna would be damned if she didn't take action and scrambled up the incline anyway, "Elsa!"

She only managed to reach half way before the two collided. Twigs and snow were sent flying into the air at high velocity. Anna quickly pressed herself flat against the ground to avoid the airborne debris.

Elsa grunted under the sheer force. The uruk's yowl pierced her ears as she was sent speeding backwards. The most she could do was keep muscles locked and grasp tight on its horns.

' _Oh sweet Odin'_ , Elsa gritted her teeth as ice fractals and splinters threatened to blind her. Her powers roared loudly in her ears. _Survive_ , they said. But she refused to murder the creature. Spilling blood was unnecessary.

The beast was beginning to slow down, but not slow enough to prevent any serious injury. Elsa yelped as a passing tree clipped her right elbow. Her grip faltered, causing them both to swerve. _'Faen'_ , the huntress had no choice but to let go of it's horns, or else be caught in the momentum. She ended up tumbling regardless, but not as far as the beast.

The Uruk cried as it was sent further down the mountain until it crashed into a tree.

The blonde whined. Her head was pounding and her heart was in her ears, but Elsa wasted no time running down the slope to catch the beast. It had keeled onto it's side, it's mewls of distress shook the leaves around it. She quickly pulled a long leather cord from her satchel and tightened it around the horns.

The beast mewled, she gave the reins a hard jerk to assert dominance. Not as hard as she wanted though, her elbow was in pain. "Up, up! You've caused me enough trouble as it is", she hissed and guided the Uruk onto it's feet. Cooperation was short lived, because right after it flopped on its underside and snorted.

Elsa can only describe the action as it being a sore loser. "Du er fine, store dyret", she sighed and stroked the mangled white locks that shielded its brow in exasperation. The huntress flinched as she bent her right arm. The situation became a little harder to control.

"Elsa!" She perked up.

Anna stopped running near the top of the slope, simply to assess the damage the beast has caused. It was a long, dark smear of upturned compost on the earth's snowy exterior. Like when a farmer tilled the land before sowing his seed. Except in this case, Elsa was the plow and the uruk was the farmer. She stared in awe.

The huntress stared back. Taking in her blotchy red cheeks and eyes shining with adrenaline. The vibrant copper locks and the heavy puffs of condensation that filled the air in front of her as she caught her breath. Just a splash of color, bright and enticing against her world. Elsa drew a blank.

Anna was suddenly in front of her, talking a thousand words per second. It took a moment for the blonde to register the noise, and a second to gently place a hand over Anna's mouth; which was quickly batted away, "Stop that."

Elsa quirked a brow, "stop what?"

The princess huffed, "Whatever that was... look, are you alright? Your elbow—"

"It's fine. Just a flesh wound", she quickly straightened her wounded posture. She didn't want Anna to get any ideas. The ginger made a mental note anyway. She eyed the Uruk warily, "I could of killed it."

Elsa gave her a look, "You? Kill this? You'd be dead."

"At the speed the beast was going, all I'd have to do was hold the sword at the proper angle and secure it—which I was doing until you launched me across the plane. Your arm wouldn't be messed up, the forest wouldn't be damaged, and we wouldn't be in the same spot we were a while ago", Anna took the comment a little personal. She still felt a need for revenge after her first encounter with the creature. The fact that the heiress was petting it didn't help it's case.

"Hva—running at that speed? That's _exactly_ why I pushed you. If you did kill the Uruk, the corpse would still crush you as it rolled. And I told you _my arm is fine_ ", Elsa shot back.

The redhead narrowed her eyes and crossed her arms, "And what made you think jumping in front of a _speeding wall_ _of flesh_ was a better idea?"

"The fact that nothing is wasted", she quipped as the beast finally responded positively to her touch with a soft head butt. She muttered a few words of approval and smiled beneath the mask.

Anna had a retort, a very good one, but she held her tongue, _'I knew I was just cargo.'_

"Get on."

She sputtered, "E-excuse me?"

"The Uruk, climb onto it's back. You want to sit right behind the base of it's neck", Elsa's blatant tone remained the same. Her stare was unyielding and placid. Anna swallowed thickly and eyed the beast. A bit of anxiety churned her insides, "Okay, _how_? There's no leverage."

The blonde rolled her eyes, "Just use it's fur as footing. It's thick, it won't hurt it at all." The beast snorted. One swish of it's take sent snow flying into the air. Anna took that as a taunt.

They shared a quick look before the princess took a fistful of matted fur in each hand and began to climb, _'What have I gotten myself into?'_

Elsa watched her clunky movements as she held the beast steady. It was like watching a toddler climb into their parent's bed.

"Am—am I sitting correctly?" She held on to the uruk's mane for dear life with her bag snug between her arms. Her legs were too short to properly grip the Uruk's sides. That was Anna's greatest concern.

 _'What? Oh...'_ The blonde hadn't realized how much she's been staring, or the amused smile on her face. She silently thanked the divines for such a convenient mask, "You look scared."

"I'm terrified!" Anna was an excellent horseback rider and she wasn't the least bit afraid of heights. Though she's never been on anything this high _that could move_. Her heart hammered with more excitement than fear. Elsa held the reins in her right hand and scaled the beast's side with little trouble. She sat down _right_ behind the redhead. Her front flush against the latter's backside.

Anna looked over her shoulder and glared at the older woman. Elsa simply took the reins in both hands, successfully locking her in, "Your legs are too short, I don't want you to fall."

"My grip is fine!"

The blonde shrugged, "If you insist." She gave her some distance. The beast stood up at Elsa's command and began making it's way up the incline. The squire yelped as she slid back against the blonde's front. Elsa held back a cringe and hummed.

Anna pouted angrily, _'Unbelievable.'_

They rode in silence. What had been awkward turned into mutual indifference after a few hours. Anna's fear finally gave into her childish awe as they retraced their steps with a new perspective.

She plucked one of the leaves off a passing tree. It was waxy and tinted an odd shade of blue-ish green, much like the needles from evergreens. But its shape resembled a wych elm leaf and was about the size of her hand.

The trees themselves had the structure of an oak, but bark like aspens. "Fascinating..." Anna ran a gloved fingers over the veins of the leaf.

"We call them mobbere, because they dominate the area by tangling with one another and fusing at the roots. It makes it hard for other trees to properly grow, which causes them to twist into these odd shapes. But they still manage to thrive", Elsa said as she shifted a little in her spot.

The princess soaked the information in. She didn't think twice about the demonic distortion this time, "Mobbere... sounds like mob, but it means bullies. That's kind of clever."

Elsa nodded, though the latter couldn't see the motion. Anna took it as the cue for silence. Her fingers itched for the charcoal and paper in her bag, even though her efforts would be futile.

The sky was cloudless, a soft lilac that melded into gold below and deep purple above. She hoped for a midnight sun, even though winter was approaching soon. The princess noted how peaceful it looked compared to the vibrant rolling clouds when they first met.

How those frozen irises transcended the darkness.

Anna shuddered and abandoned the train of thought. She subjected herself to the soothing movement of the Uruk's gait. It had began to lull her into a daze. That was, until the weight against her back grew. That caught Anna's attention.

Elsa had taken greater beating than she let on. Other than a pained elbow, the blonde was positive she had a concussion and even pulled a few muscles during her stunt. She was having a terrible time remaining alert and upright with a bruising back. _'Ana is going to be furious when I return—with another woman no less.'_

Anna craned her head. Ice blue eyes were dazed and downcast, "Um, Elsa."

The huntress quickly snapped out of the daze and straightened herself. But not without tipping off her painful state, "Forgive me, that wasn't very wholesome."

"You have head trauma. It's in your best interest to stop and check the damage… Moving around—especially on this creature— will make it worse."

"Flesh wounds... and it's called an uruk."

 _'The ice demon thinks she's above a concussion. Quaint'_ , Anna rolled her eyes, "If you're not going to stop and check, then let me please."

"In my culture, only people one trusts are allowed near their head."

Her tone was incredulous, "Even at the risk of one's life?"

Elsa tittered, "It'll heal quickly, I assure you. But thank you for the concern, it was... unexpected." It was another perk of being the monarch, being able to heal quickly as long as the damage wasn't severe. There was a pregnant pause between them. The redhead was mostly concerned because if Elsa fell, she would fall down with her. Right next to the uruk's huge clawed feet. Anna pursed her lips, "Alright, if you insist."

The soldier nodded tiredly. Despite the dying light, she could spot a series of horns about two-hundred meters to their right. Anna saw them as well and tensed up with fear, "Holy hell there's a _pack_ of them."

"Relax, they won't charge at us while we're riding their own kind", Elsa mused. Actually there was a slim chance that the pack would, but she highly doubted that would happen. Anna sighed, "Oh thank god… I wonder why the others came after me then."

"It's your hair", she stated simply. The princess took one of the copper plaits in her hand, "my hair?"

"it's very noticeable. Finding anything naturally orange colored is really rare in the wild, and are all very poisonous. When animals spot a _moving_ orange object it terrifies them into doing extreme things. They will either run, freeze, or try to kill you", the blonde's demonic drawl was oddly comforting.

Anna mulled over the information and scoffed, "All this turmoil over a mere tint of rust. I've had priests try to steal my birth right under the assumption that I was an evil soulless heathen that apparently stole the devil's fire." Those religious zealots had been punished swiftly by her father, seeing that she inherited his ginger locks. But it still left a sour taste in her mouth. Anna found it hilarious that a bunch of old men were afraid of a little girl because of some rumor. She smiled wryly and thought of how drastic things would be if Arendelle reformed to German Catholic instead of Lutheran Christian. Red headed _and_ left handed. There's no place on the throne for a fire-thieving vampire of the devil. That's what her cousin liked to call her.

Elsa chuckled, "Soulless and evil because of some hair? Humans are rather strange…" Anna caught on to the use of words. Instead of calling it out, she rolled her eyes, "Oh please, like your culture doesn't have some weird quirk of it's own."

"We certainly don't accuse people simply based on a color. But there is an extreme love-hate reaction amongst them when it comes to gingers", she confessed, _'an extreme reaction indeed.'_

"Orange is the most controversial color…" Anna mused mostly to herself.

"Contro… controverse?"

"Con-tro-ver-shal. To give rise to public disagreement, kind of like it being arguable", she explained briefly. Anna smiled as the blonde tested the word herself, "your language, it's a bit of work on the tongue."

"Trust me, English is far worse", she tittered. That was, until she realized Elsa may have never heard of Britain or even it's brother nations. "So..."

"Ja?"

"How do you feel about orange hair?" the princess playfully asked. Elsa blinked back her surprise before chuckling, "It's very bold… and warm. I like bold and warm."

The ginger's smile grew into a playful grin, "Well I'm glad to have at least one ally." The conversation waned to an occasional question of the other one's health. The fleeting sun had been replaced by dancing ribbons of light. The weight against her back had returned over a period of time, but Anna didn't mention it again. Elsa had saved her three times over the short span of their relationship, she deserved some slack.

At first it was just a narrow silhouette peeking out from the mountain side, but it grew taller as they neared. Soon Anna could could finally distinguish the castle rooftops from the jagged terrain, and a wall began to emerge from the horizon of trees. It's special mortar of ice and concrete glittered in the light. The blonde sighed, they would arrive at least two hours after the evening meal. She was thinking of the quietest routes to the castle, or at least—the easiest ones.

That was the downside to such a lively kingdom, it was hard to find privacy outside of the home. Elsa was still unsure of what she'd even _do_ with the princess. To find treasure was an attainment, but to give it purpose was a triumph. She certainly wasn't going to keep a living human being as a prized pet. It went against her morals.

"How's your head?"

Elsa adjusted herself. The concussion was only lingering and her general muscle pain had subsided into a dull throb. That meant her body was healing correctly, but it also meant she'd have to stay away from her soldierly duties for a few days. Thankfully it wasn't any worse. Elsa hated being idle for too long, "It's a lot clearer than before."

"And your arm?"

"Still in good condition", she said. The flesh had swollen painfully so, to the point where it constricted against her sleeve. The whole ride had been bittersweet because of all the movement that had agitated her stiff arm. The huntress swore she was losing a bit of feeling in her fingers. She definitely was going to need medical attention, and maybe even a bit of treatment for her leg.

"So if I touch it you wouldn't cry? What if I tap your ankle?"

"Are you threatening me, Anna of Arendelle?"

The princess casted a look over her shoulder. It was unnerving how the huntress's eyes just seemed to _glow_. It wasn't enough to be seen a mile ahead, but from her position Anna could see how the light reflected off the mask, "No, not at all. I just don't want to overestimate you if another wild animal attacks us before we reach your destination... since my hair is practically a red cape."

Elsa found the statement reasonable but the term odd. In these lands, the night wasn't really for sleeping. Elsa replied smoothly, "I can still handle myself in the this state, relax."

"If you insist..." The ginger pursed her lips. She wanted to squirm with excitement, but she kept Elsa's injuries in mind. Even if the soldier protested, Anna knew pain when she saw it. "May I ask a question? Forgive me if it's out of term..."

"Carry on..."

"What is the princess— _her highness_ like? To consider me an object of interest, she must have quite the personality", Anna said as she fiddled with the drawstrings of her duffle bag.

 _'She slipped',_ Elsa hesitated, she wasn't expecting such a question. The problem was, how could she describe herself when she never truly _thought_ about herself. It had always been about other people and what they liked to do. "Haven't you already created a character for her? Ke—Queer, as you called it."

"Well yes, she _seems_ but I can't say for sure. It's comforting to know who I'm dealing with, since I have no insurance in this kingdom." The soldier allowed the words to settle before running scenarios in her head. They never got far, because Elsa still didn't know what she was going to do with the girl. The pause made Anna nervous, "Have I offended you?"

"No, hardly. She's... quite the character", Elsa finally said. She's heard people call her many things, but it was hard to tell what was realistic from the romanticized. Besides, she had already made an impression on her. The squire huffed, "Well that's not comforting at all."

 _'I could have her stay with Lev... no, the castle will do. I can have a select staff keep an eye on her while I attend to my duties. On top of that, I'm the only one inhabiting the castle at the moment. It's less likely for nobles to catch wind of her' ,_ the thought made her stop. Why was she harboring a fugitive? Because of an interest with her? No, certainly not. It _did_ play a very minor part in the grand scheme. In truth, she just felt a very strong need to protect the straggler from harm, as though the ginger was too important to get hurt. Elsa studied their surroundings, "my apologies."

"No need for that. After all, I'm just a prisoner", Anna said mostly to herself. It was more of a reminder than a reply. Over the course of their trip she had forgotten the gap in authority. The soldier picked up a little bit of resentment in her tone.

"How... is the forest?"

"Pardon?"

"In Arendelle, what's the forest like?" Elsa rephrased the question, she haven't asked much from the ginger since they met. Anna allowed the words to sink in, "That's an odd question."

The monarch chortled, "Really? The girl who asks if dragons exist finds my question odd, interesting."

Anna rolled her eyes and hugged the bag tighter to her chest, "Oh hush... it's just, out of all the things you can ask me, the first legitimate question is about the forest."

 _'Huh... legitimate. I haven't heard that word before',_ Elsa smiled, "forests are sacred ground to my people... at least to most of them."

The squire shrugged, "Well it's... fun. At least to me it's fun, I often escape to the forest to get away from everything. We don't have any Uruk or trees like these but it's beautiful there year round."

There was a pause, then Anna chuckled, "Thank god we don't have Uruk, or any of the animals you do. It's autumn now—well winter will be upon us soon but there's still plenty of warm colors left in the scenery. There would be mayhem... is there always snow here?"

"Always. During the summer a good amount of it melts away and many of the lakes unfreeze but other then that, we always have ice and snow", Elsa replied. She spoke up once more, "we're close to the gates now. I don't want to do this, but I'm going to have to bind you."

" _Bind me?_ "

The soldier continued in a rushed tone. Something about Anna's voice made her nervous, "I don't _want_ to. But if you walk in armed and free it will raise a lot of alarm—especially because you're an outsider _and_ a prisoner."

The silence made Elsa wary, "I know you're judgement of me isn't very... positive despite all of this but I have no intentions of harming you in any way. Is it too much to ask for your trust? Just this once."

Anna frowned, her eyebrows knitted together. She was weighing her options carefully, "and what if I resist?"

"Then I'll have to use force."

"I don't think you're in the best condition to force me into anything."

"I don't think you should underestimate my ability."

Her frown intensified, "Then why ask for my trust if I don't have a say in the matter?"

"Because I want your cooperation. One way or another I'm going to have to restrain you, but if you understand why then this can go smoothly", Elsa slowed the uruk to a halt. It was as far as they could go in their current state. Anna pursed her lips and turned haphazardly to face the blonde. She stared for a solid moment before speaking. The question came out in a slow and firm voice, "Why are you doing this?"

Elsa gave her a quizzical look, "This?"

"This strange... hospitality— _thing_ ", Anna tried to complete her fragmented thoughts through hand gesture, but it only looked like incoherent flapping in Elsa's eyes. The soldier was expecting an intelligent explanation to go along with Anna's serious question, not such a childish display of distress. She wanted to pat the squire's head, "You are prisoner yes, but you are also a person. Why should I treat you as anything less than? You haven't done anything wrong in the eyes of the law as far as I'm aware."

Elsa got off the beast with minor difficulty and held out her good hand. Anna disregarded the offer completely and ungracefully stumbled off the Uruk. She contemplated running, but her instincts told her that would be a _very_ poor choice. She crossed her arms over her chest as Elsa untangled the leather cord from the beast's horns and muttered a few words in the native tongue. The Uruk hobbled away with a short sniff and a swish of the tail.

The soldier turned to Anna after it was fully out of sight and held up the cord, "Please?" The princess squirmed before taking a few steps forward and holding out her wrists reluctantly. Out of all the novels she had read and tactics Jørgen had taught her, she's never heard of something like _this_. She wondered if the rest of the people in the land acted this way, or if Elsa just happened to very strange, "What exactly is going to happen when we reach the gate?"

"Once we reach the gate, I'll hand you over to the Royal guard and order them to deliver you to the castle. I'll tell them that her imperial highness is already expecting you in a vacant chamber and will be _very_ upset if her orders aren't followed. They won't harm you in any way, but they will blind fold you as long as you are within their care", she explained as she secured the leather tightly with a was still more than enough cord left to bind other limbs and use as a leash.

Anna huffed in frustration, "God damn blindfold—wait wait, what if something goes wrong?"

Elsa replied smoothly, "Then I would know and have the error resolved." After a pause Anna asked, "Will I... will I see you again?"

The question caught the blonde off guard, "Yes, you will."

"But _how_ will I know? Will your mask remain the same, or your clothes? You haven't showed me your face."

Elsa leaned down until her eyes were leveled with the foreigner's, "Remember my irises and you will know it is me." Anna wanted to comment on how cheesy the line sounded, but payed close attention to the dominating ice blue instead. Then she began to notice the thin outer ring of Royal blue, and the steel wedged between the colors. She burned the pattern of ridges into her mind along with how Elsa's blonde lashes caught the slight glow of her eyes. Anna nodded after a moment, "Alright."

The soldier nodded as well and straightened her back. She beckoned Anna forward with a wave of the hand instead of tugging on the length of cord. They began walking again, the ginger made sure to stay close.

Anna didn't know how long they trekked through the snow, or how many turns they took. She only paid attention to the slight indications of pain in Elsa's gait. Her good nature wanted to offer the blonde a shoulder to lean on, but her training said otherwise, _'I wonder what would happen if I try to escape… is the risk really worth it? Where would I go from here?'_ They had somehow wound up on a dirt path. It was _just_ wide enough for an Uruk to pass through without needing to Maneuver itself.

The closer they drew, the stronger Anna's anxiety became. She knew there was no turning back when she could finally see the flickering torch light. _'I'm trusting you',_ Elsa held the cord with her injured arm and waved curtly at the guards.

The soldiers shared a disinterested look. One of them made a silly comment about how short the prisoner was and morality. Their eyes widened with surprise when they recognized the unique metal snarl. The first soldier whispered in panic, "Sweet Odin do—do we nod or bow?"

"Both? Nod? Bow? Bod?" They could see all the scuff marks on Elsa's armor, she clearly had a bad time out.

"What do you mean _bod_?" The white of her eyes became more apparent. They didn't realize it but they were already in Elsa's range of hearing.

"Uhm... uh, we greet her appropriately to whatever she approaches us as, yeah?" The second soldier didn't have time to agree before Elsa and Anna were in their proximity. They nodded simultaneously while the formal welcoming rolled off their tongues.

Elsa returned the greeting with forced indifference to the throb in her spine. She spared Anna a glance before giving them specific orders on how to handle the "gift".

The ginger eyed them suspiciously and strained to pick up at least a few parts of the conversation. Anna took note of how nervous the guards were in Elsa's authoritative presence and how simple their masks were compared to the blonde's. While their clothes were a dark grey, their armor consisted mostly of ornate metal. They were speaking too fast for her liking.

_Yes I... highness? Are you... Sorry... Understood... Yes, yes... The third... Not... harm... She... Thank you..._

Anna looked past them, at the door that shielded her from the castle. They looked as though someone had dipped rotting wood in a lake and froze the water before it could escape the cavities. The door was at least three people tall and as wide as two delivery wagons with extra leeway. What unnerved the prisoner though, wasn't it's lack of a handle but the fact that the ice had a _dim glow._ _'Good God—What sorcery is this!?'_

She didn't realize the conversation ended during her musing. The soldiers placed a hand on their shares of the odd door and pushed effortlessly. The structure of ice and wood glowed slightly brighter and split straight down the middle. Anna's jaw slacked, _'Oh... there are two doors. One door is two door. Cool. Cool cool cool. Frosty even, like these two glowing frozen doors.'_

Elsa watched the color drain from Anna's face, _'Oh that's... that's right, she's from the otherlands. She's probably never seen magick before.'_ The blonde was too tired to thoroughly assess the situation, she was grateful that Anna wasn't being resistant. As soon as they were past the entrance, four more soldiers were waiting patiently for orders.

Anna looked over her shoulder and watched as the guards willed the magick doors behind them to close. She suddenly felt faint, _'that is... that is not normal. this is not how normal doors work. There's was a glow but no sound or... handles. Doors sometimes lack handles but they do make noise and_ _ **not glow**_ _. Elsa's eyes glow too. What if she's a sorceress? Ha! Now that's a foolish notion, if father could read my thoughts. Nature bows at no man's feet but... then again...'_

"Hei du", the demonic call had pulled her from her thoughts. The redhead faced forward again and was greeted by monotonous grey eyes. The cord was now in one of the guards possession, which made Anna incredibly nervous. She couldn't see the night sky, or _'Where is Elsa?'_

Another guard approached her with a thick band of cloth, their eyes were a soft green. The foreigner's search became more frantic, _'Where is she?'_ She took a step back to buy more time. She finally locked on to a scuffed up figure being helped by another guard into a carriage. When the figure was in their eyes met and Anna's heart relaxed some, _'Elsa.'_

Elsa held her gaze and nodded tiredly, _'I promise your safety.'_ The princess tried to maintain the eye contact as long as she could before the guard secured the cloth around her eyes and snuffed out the little sight she had left.

 _'It's too late to back out now',_ Anna followed the direction of which the cord was being pulled. Her heart hammered, sweat was pooling in her gloves. She inhaled sharply as she was lifted off the ground and into a windowless carriage; it's odd smell made her dizzy . Anna heard the doors shut and the muffled banter between the guards. That's when everything began to move.

* * *

"Your highness please stay where you are! You're in—"

"I'm fine, let me be", Elsa had taken off her mask as soon as she entered the private ground but her tone was still very intimidating. She was injured but the servant boy was no match for her long regal strides and irritable mood. She didn't care about the tracks of dirt and ice fractals she left behind. All the monarch wanted to do was lounge about in her chambers with the kingdom's strongest spirit.

The young attendant didn't give up, "But princess, your arm—"

" _Have I not made myself clear!?"_ The temperature in the castle dropped incredibly despite the burning winter blooms near every other torch. Her voice echoed throughout the halls and shook any neighboring staff. The servant retreated at solid ten paces and gave an ardent bow, Elsa took note of how amateur it was. His hands were clasped firm against his chest, as if his heart threatened to break free and run. The shakiness of his shoulders matched his frightened tone, "M...My deepest apologies, your maje—your highness. I've stepped out of line and completely disregarded your wishes. H-have mercy please..." She could hear the slightest indication of tears in his voice.

Elsa's heart sank at the sound, he was just a boy after all. She sighed heavily and walked towards the servant and placed her healthy hand atop his crown, "Please, straighten yourself."

He adjusted himself, but his hands were still glued to his chest. The princess got down on one knee despite the pain and studied his downcast face, "I don't believe we've met before, what is your name?"

"Lu—Lucien, your highness."

"Lucien… I'm deeply sorry for reacting in such an indecorous manner to your concern, that is _not_ how a leader should behave towards their people. My temper can become rather short when I'm injured, this is a terrible first impression I've burdened you with. And you are right, I'm in need of medical attention. Would you mind sending the good doctor to my chambers when you have the chance?"

By the end of her small speech the boy had allowed his guard to relax, he nodded eagerly. She smiled and removed her hand, "Thank you, Lucien." Elsa watched as he scurried off then continued to her chambers. There was a dull throb in her head and her elbow was in absolute pain, she kept her right arm close to her chest as she trudged through hall after hall. Elsa nodded to the maid stationed by her door when she neared.

"Do you wish for assistance your highness?"

The blue blood gave her a soft smile and held the door open, "That would be appreciated." There was a small pause before the servant caught on to the gesture and scurried inside with a blush, "Yes m'lady." Elsa followed and closed the door behind her. The attendant spared a few glances as she lit candles around the room. She did so frugally, as her highness often requested, "Shall I fetch the physician?"

"No need, Lucien is requesting her as we speak", Elsa murmured as she fumbled with the laces and buckles on her attire. The maid quickly came to her aid, beckoning her to sit in a chair nearby; Elsa politely declined the seat.

A silence passed between them as the layers of leather and fur were taken away. The servant gingerly pulled the coat off, then removed the corset like brace with equal care. She scowled at the dried blood along the blonde's right sleeve and removed the band of cloth around her waist, "The seamster is going to throw a fit, this blouse will never be the same color"

The heiress murmured, "Let's make this our little secret then, yes?" The woman tsked softly as she undid the clasps and peeled the ruined fabric away from Elsa's person. But no matter how tentative she was, the hisses of pain were inevitable.

"Hopefully the physician isn't taking a stroll", the servant said as she ushered the soldier into the chair and began to unlace the worn out boots. She tried to keep her mind off the royal's shirtless torso. Elsa grunted absently and cradled her right arm to her chest. Her elbow was heavily bruised, bloody, and swollen, "your name is Ingrid, correct?

"Yes your highness", Ingrid curtsied out of habit.

"Thank you for your patience, Ingrid. Would you prepare a bath for me and a strong drink after the physician arrives?"

"Of course your highness." The maid strode across the bedroom and placed the remaining pieces in the basket for cleaning, placed a basin of water next to her side, and then went about tidying the area. If it weren't for the constant rustling, the heiress would have fell asleep. There was a light knock at the door before a tall lissome woman entered with an over stuffed bag, "Pushed yourself too hard again? Honestly, I may just move into your chambers, just in case you happen to break your toe."

"Pleasant as always Willith, it's nice to see you too", Elsa murmured. Willith had already made herself comfortable by the blonde's side. They've become well acquainted with each other ever since the royal began her stay in Kollavik. The physician took the injured arm in her hands, "Move your fingers for me." Elsa obeyed.

"Roll your wrist." Success again. "Excellent, now clench your hand into a fist." The movement was shaky, it was a weak fist. Willith gently dragged her fingers up the length of Elsa's palm, then length of each digit. The blonde squirmed nervously in her seat as blood rose to her cheeks. The older woman checked her pulse at the wrist and sniffed, "Clearly you're not experiencing numbness. Which is good on your behalf. I, however, could have lived without this encounter. Raise your arm at the shoulder for me, then shrug."

Elsa scowled and raised her arm with some difficulty, "They were numb earlier today, I wasn't expecting to feel anything."

Willith hummed, she knew better. She dipped a cloth in the basin near by and gently cleaned off bruised skin. Even without the dried blood, Elsa's arm was still unsightly. The physician frowned as she examined the swollen area, "how did you manage this? I've never seen something so reckless from you."

"I was subduing an uruk on the mountain side. There were too many obstacles and not enough traction. I clipped my elbow against a passing tree and lost balance. Thankfully I managed to let go of it's horns before we rolled", there was a slight rasp to her voice. She contemplated passing out in her chair, just to spite the doctor. Willith had adopted a perturbed expression, "I'm going to perform a physical after I've treated your elbow. "

There was a soft knock, her highness gave them permission to enter. Ingrid had returned with her requested liquor on a tray and a plate of chocolate truffles—as one of the kitchen staffs recommended. Elsa's face lightened up but fell once she noticed the guard that lingered in the door frame. The maid placed the salvar on an open desk and went to work prepping the tub.

Elsa silently permitted the guard to speak. He bowed, "The girl has been set up in her quarters, your imperial highness." Willith's brows shot up with surprise. She didn't expect the young royal to be into such… festivities, or to order a girl specifically for those uses.

"No shackles or blindfolds as I requested?"

"Yes, of course. No harm against her person, just as you ordered."

"Good, I have another request from you", Elsa pulled a small slip of paper from what seemed like thin air and held it out. The guard strode over quickly and took the list, "These select few must wait outside my door until I give further notice."

"As you wish", he bowed curtly before exiting the room. The princess ignored an asserting stare as she flexed her fingers. She didn't feel the need to explain herself to the practitioner.

"The good news is that if you had tore any ligaments, they've healed well. However your elbow is fractured. I will have to perform some very light surgery to stabilize the bone fragments before your body heals over the injury the _wrong way_ and, ironically, make the situation worse", Willith explained. Elsa huffed irritably and scowled, "Oh well that's just _grand_."

The physician rolled her eyes, "Oh please, stiffen up child, it'll only take a moment of your time. With health like yours I can do it right on this desk and not have to worry about infections." She took pride in being the fastest and most efficient light surgeon in Kollavik, under Eir's blessing. Her vast medical experience and talent kept her living well. The physician had already cleared off the desk and thrown a tarp over its surface.

Elsa gave her a wary look, her heart was thumping hard to the bass line of her core. She wasn't a fan of people poking around inside her, "You seem a little too eager to steal my bones, Doctor. Perhaps I should bathe first and finish my personal tasks before we—"

Willith forced her back into the chair and quickly maneuvered it to face the make shift operation table, "By the time you've finished all of that rubbish your elbow would have healed over and then I'd have to perform a more elaborate surgery to correct its mistakes."

The princess whimpered quietly, a thin coat of ice was beginning to form around her bare feet. Willith sighed as she sterilized the elegant tools in a small dish of alcohol, "Ingrid dear, I'm sorry to interrupt but could you light the fire place for me."

"Of course ma'am."

Elsa was more concerned with how the older woman managed to fit all these supplies in her leather bag, _'A force to be reckoned with, that's for sure.'_

"You need to straighten your arm."

"Whoa wait, wait— _ **sweet Odi—FUCK!**_ "

**Author's Note:**

> I guess I should put a disclaimer? I own nothing except the original characters in this fic. This story is also available on FF.net, but for the sake of continuity I've decided to post the story here as well.


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